Finland's Hectic Christmas 2012
by TheSpanishBanana
Summary: It's Finland's job to send christmas presents on Christmas Eve, as he is Father Christmas. But this year, something new happens. How will Finland cope when he's being nursed by his crush, Sweden after he tumbles down his chimney? SuFin, BoyXBoy,some DenNor and HongIce, and possibly SeaLat, rather fluffy;3 Don't like, don't read. Rating has gone up.
1. Of delivering and chimneys

**Hello there, you awesome people! This is my first Fanfiction ever, so I'd be grateful if you'd go easy on me!:3 Feel free to leave a review and correct any spelling and grammar mistakes (as Word can't process everything now, can it?) and generally enjoy this story!:'D**

**Just a little helpful note for the story**_**; '**_**Thoughts are written like this'**_**,**_** "Speech is written like this", and **_**Flashbacks are written like this**_**. ¿Sí? **

**DISCLAIMER: *sigh* I unfortunately don't own the awesomeness that is Hetalia otherwise-**

**Prussia: Kesesesese! Otherwise the AWESOME ME would be in it ALL THE TIME!**

**Me: Yes, thank you for your input Gilbert, now, ON WITH THE STORY! ~ ;3 ****( ̢ô̡ ̮ ̢ô̡ ) ( o̿ ̭ o̿ )**

Chapter 1

It was 7 o'clock in the morning over at Finland's house, and everything was hectic. Various items of clothing were strewn all over his floor, his kettle was whistling downstairs in the kitchen signalling that the water for his morning cup of coffee was ready, and Finland himself was in the bathroom, scrubbing up for the undoubtedly busy day that was to come. After stepping out of the shower and brushing his teeth, he made his way down the stairs of the modern, snug little house, clad in nothing but boxers imprinted with the Finnish flag.

He entered the kitchen (after effectively tripping over Hanatamago, his dog) to tend to the noisy appliance on the stove. He let out a sigh whilst preparing the coffee, his eyes trained on the calendar on the wall in front of him. The date read '24th December', and was circled in red biro to show the importance of the day. You see, it was Finland's job as a country to deliver presents to children and sometimes adults all over the world on the night of Christmas Eve. Yes, he was, in other words, Santa Claus. It's not that Finland hated Christmas or giving presents to others, quite the contrary actually. He loved the Holiday, with the joyful atmosphere and the happy faces and all the singing, and he also loved giving to others, knowing that he'd made someone happy. It was just that the rounds on the sleigh took a long time, and the weather wasn't always good. He loved the cold (he is Finland, duh), but there is a time when it gets too much, and one can have enough of it. And that's what tended to happen whilst he travelled up in the clouds every December. He can't say he was too delighted with the prospect of snow-filled boots, numb fingers and toes, and a high chance of catching a cold, but he'd do it again this year, nethertheless. After all, it's only ONE night a year, correct? How hard could it be?

Purple orbs pulled away from the calendar and glanced at the clock on the microwave. He jumped violently, almost spilling boiling coffee on his exposed torso. When did it get to be 7:39 in the morning? He figured that he must've stayed in the shower longer than necessary. And with that thought, he quickly gulped down the remaining drops of the energy-giving liquid and raced to his room, frantically trying to sort out the piles of clothes on the carpet to find something decent to wear. He'd promised Norway he'd go over at 8 o'clock for a chat before he set to work preparing the sleigh for the rest of the day. Now he was going to be late, and Lukas didn't like to be kept waiting. He jammed on a pair of light blue jeans and pulled on a white blouse before skidding into the bathroom for one last check of the hair. He yanked a brush through the silky blonde hair and made sure the parting was right. Then he took the stairs two at a time, said goodbye to Hanatamago (who replied with a hearty 'woof'), grabbed his car keys on the kitchen counter and ran out of the door.

Tino blinked as his face was met with a gust of icy air. He shivered as he pulled his jacket (which he grabbed on his way out) closer to his body. He unlocked the car door quickly, and was soon reversing out of his driveway with practised ease. As he sped down town, he began to think about the last time he'd seen Norway.

~Le Flashback~

"_Lukas, Emil, I'm back!~" Tino sung, as he placed the grocery shopping on the carpeted floor of Norway's hallway. "Ah, there you are, we were beginning to think Russia had gotten hold of you". Lukas' voice floated in from the lounge, cold and emotionless. But Tino took no notice, as that was just the way Lukas was. It would actually be strange if he showed any emotion. Finland let out a giggle at Norway's statement. "Silly! I can look after myself thank you!". He made his way into the room, and plopped himself down on the sofa next to a reading Lukas. Said person lowered his book and gazed over at the happy Finn. He replied with a small 'humph' just as Iceland trudged through the living space, acknowledging Tino with a curt nod of the head before entering the kitchen, most likely looking for a snack. After a few minutes silence (albeit the rustling of various food stuffs being opened by Emil in the kitchen), Finland began to feel a bit uncomfortable. He'd gotten a call earlier that day from the man sitting next to him, telling him to come over as he wanted some company aside from the 'idiot' Denmark and his little brother. Now there he was, and he'd no idea what to do to pass the time. As he opened his mouth to break the uneasy silence, he was cut off by Norway. "So, how've you been recently?". Finland stared in surprise at the man, before remembering his manners and replied with a short but steady "Good, thanks." Norway hummed, signalling the end of the conversation. Wow, things were getting awkward, and Finland could feel himself getting bothered. He needed to say something! But yet again, he was cut off by the stoic neighbouring country beside him. "Have you seen much of Sweden lately?" Finland could feel the heat rising to his cheeks at the mention of the name. Little did the others know, he had a bit of a crush on the tall, scary looking country. Well, 'a bit of a crush' was an understatement. He really, REALLY liked Sweden, but he wasn't going to admit that anytime soon. He forced the blood from his face and slowly shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. Norway peered over his book, wondering why Finland wasn't speaking. He caught the shake of the head, but that wasn't the only thing interesting. A blush was very much noticeable on the little Finn's face, and Norway couldn't help but smirk at the reaction Tino had to the seemingly innocent question of Sweden's whereabouts. His hunch was correct then. He had noticed Tino's secret crush for Berwald for a while now, even though the Finn tried desperately to hide it. Even Matthias had caught on, and that was saying something. But both never said anything to Sweden, respecting their fellow Nordic's feelings for the other. The smirk went unnoticed by Finland, as he stared off into a random corner of the room, trying to calm his buzzing thoughts down. 'Stop blushing face! What if Norway notices?! Oh god, what if he knows? Perhaps he does? And has also told Denmark?! Wait! Stop thinking so lowly of your friends Tino! He wouldn't do that, would he?! AHHH! IfDenmarkknowshe'llcertainlytellSwedenandthen mylifewillbeoveeer!JUST STOP THINKING, BRAIN!' The rest of Finland's visit went relatively smoothly, with only the few minor hiccups with a drunk Matthias being dropped off naked by a pissed England (also partially naked), and Lukas having to tell off Emil for eating all the fish. Good times._

~End of Le flashback~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ̢ô̡ ̮ ̢ô̡ ) ( o̿ ̭ o̿ ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tino hoped that this visit wouldn't be like the last one. He was rather disturbed by it, to say the least, and he certainly wasn't in the mood for Matthias' annoying behaviour. He pulled up into Norway's drive moments later, and was relieved that Denmark's car wasn't on the gravel.

He got out of his little Blue Lupo, and walked to the front door, where he rang the doorbell once. Suddenly the door was flung open (luckily it was hinged to be opened inside, otherwise the door would've smacked Finland right in the face), and to Tino's great displeasure, Matthias was standing there. Finland blinked, trying to process the fact that not only had the door been opened at lightning speed, but also that DENMARK was there. Bollocks. Finland could feel his partially good mood fading. It wasn't that Finland hated Denmark, he was just rather noisy and hard to get along with at times, and even though Finland had had a good sleep the previous night (something one must have when going to be delivering presents the next evening), he knew he's be tired when he got home. He greeted Denmark politely before letting himself in.

Once he'd taken off his shoes, he sped off into the lounge, knowing that Norway would be in there and would save him from the beer-drinking excuse of a country. But surprisingly, it was empty. Except from Mr Puffin, who was settled down on a cushion on one of the sofas. Tino frowned. "Where's Lukas?" he enquired slowly, not really too keen on conversing with the loud-mouthed animal. Said creature opened an eye lazily and nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen. Finland thanked the puffin and padded across to the room in mention. He was met with the sight of Emil eating cereal at the table and Lukas at the other end of the room, preparing a cup of coffee. Emil greeted with a nod before becoming absorbed in this half empty bowl. Lukas heard his approach and turned, a steaming mug clutched in his right hand.

"Morning you two!" Tino began, smiling at the two brothers, "You enjoying your Christmas so far?". Norway raised an eyebrow. "Yes, thank you, we are. How's yours been? You almost ready for tonight?" Finland nodded enthusiastically. "Almost! Just a few things here and there, and then I'll be good to go!"

Lukas nodded to show his attention, and took a sip coffee. "How are you doing it this year then?" he asked. "Are you starting with Russia and making your way round?"

"Yep! I always start with Russia! Its…It's just better to get him out of the way first, kyllä [yes]?" Finland replied. He had a logical way of giving children their presents, and seeing as Russia is the closest (and scariest) country to him, it only made sense to drop off their load first. It wasn't a secret that he was terrified of the big nation, and he would be lying if he said he didn't give a big sigh of relief every year once he'd finished his job in that particular area of the world.

"So I take it that means that you'll be stopping at Sweden's place last?" Norway challenged, trying to make the question seem innocent, but in reality, he just wanted to see his friend's reaction.

Finland's heart began to pound. He could feel the blood rush to his face, and he tried to think rationally. "Y-yes. I s-s-suppose so." He managed. "B-but it's n-not a big deal r-right? I mean, h-he's usually l-l-last, s-so h-he'll be f-fine, right? H-he just l-lives closest t-to me, and r-really, I-it only m-makes sense…"

Norway couldn't help a silent snicker as he watched the Finn struggle to speak his reasoning. The fierce blush was back again, and he noticed how the boys violet eyes widened at the mention of the Swede. He was enjoying the scene until Denmark entered the kitchen, whistling an annoying tune. Norway felt his eye twitch as their eyes locked, and for a moment, he forgot about the matters at hand.

"Ha-ha! Finny-boy, your face is all red and stuff, are you having a seizure or somethin'?" Matthias' voice cut through the air like a sharp blade, and left Lukas' ears ringing with the sheer annoyingness of it.

"A-ah! Umm…n-n-no! I'm f-fine a-and good a-and…y-yes!" with a squeak, Finland rushed out of the room.

Norway sighed. Why did Denmark have to be so forceful with his ways? He could've approached the situation with care, but NO. Never mind, he'd go after the Finn in a minute. Just let him cool his head down.

Matthias saw cold dark blue eyes studying him, and gave Lukas a shrug. "What? That wasn't my fault. What were you guys talking about anyway?" The Dane walked around the table and sat on the counter beside Lukas. Emil slipped out of the kitchen whilst he had the chance. "It's really none of your business, now, is it?" Lukas replied, his voice bitter.

Matthias took no notice and smirked. "Alright, but I think I have a pretty good idea of the conversation anyway. Were you teasing little Finny about his lover again?" he chuckled.

"Hmm? Eavesdropping again, Denmark? And they're not lovers you idiot." Lukas looked down into his cup of coffee, watching how the surface rippled with the slightest gentle sway.

"Not at all, I'm just a good guesser, and yes, they are lovers…technically " Matthias chipped. Lukas rolled his eyes. The Dane glanced at Lukas, and saw him staring into his cup of- wait, was that coffee?

"Uhh, Norge…" he began uneasily (which is unusual for him).

"Yes? What?" Lukas asked, tearing his eyes away from the beverage to stare at the spikey-haired man next to him.

"What are you doing drinking coffee? You know what happens to you when you drink that stuff…" he enquired slowly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. It's just a drink." Norway huffed. Why does everyone say that to him? So what if it gives him a boost? That's what coffee was meant to do. And anyway, who was Denmark to lecture him?

"...Right…" And with that, Denmark ripped the mug out of Norway's grip, and poured it down the sink. Norway just sat there in surprise for a moment before the other's actions began to register in his mind.

"What the HELL Denmark? That was my coffee!" He shouted. Yes, shouted. He was angry now. He tried to reach over Denmark to get the kettle and pour himself another cup, but Matthias gripped his wrist.

"I'm only saving you from future humiliation" Matthias sniggered as he watched Lukas' attempts to escape the wrist lock he held him in. Soon enough, the thrashing began to cease, as Lukas began to get tired. He hadn't had enough coffee to strengthen him for the day, and now his efforts were going to waste.

"You bastard…" Lukas muttered. He gave up trying to get free and allowed Matthias to pull him onto his lap. Drained, Lukas snuggled into the broad chest of the Dane and began to drift off, but not before he felt a pair of lips on his own and a distant whisper of words he couldn't make out through the haze of sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ̢ô̡ ̮ ̢ô̡ ) ( o̿ ̭ o̿ )

Finland rushed out of the kitchen and into the bathroom just down the hallway. Once inside, he locked the door and sank onto the cool tiles of the floor. He curled his knees up to his chest and tried to stop his heart beating to frantically.

'Why does this always happen? Every time someone says his name…m-my heart…' The boy squeezed his eyes shut trying to sort out his muddled thoughts, but they were a big jumble. The only thing he could think about was the Swede who entered his thoughts every single day. He imagined the feel of Berwald's arms around him, holding him close, away from danger… The feel of his breath, tickling his skin…the way he would whisper his name lovingly-'

-Ack! Finland shook his head violently, that could-WOULD never happen. What would Sweden do if he knew his feelings? Would he accept them but carry on with daily life, or would he hate Finland? Ignore him all the time? Or would he…maybe, like him back?

No. Finland was certain the tall Scandinavian country didn't like him back, at least not in the way he liked him. Tears of pain escaped his closed eyelids, and dribbled down his face. How long would this feeling last? He didn't know if he could live without Berwald…he wanted him so badly… But he knew that he was alone in these feelings. And that no matter how hard he wished, his fantasy would never come true.

With that depressing thought he scrambled to his feet and washed his face with a flannel and tap water. He glanced up at the mirror above the sink. His reflection looked a mess. His cheeks were tinged a furious red, his lavender eyes swollen from crying, his lips were puffy and red from subconscious anxious gnawing and his hair was dishevelled and messy. Why would Sweden want him? And then there was his body… Finland believed that he was chubby, with a gently rounded face and girly hips. He swallowed thickly and turned the tap off. He had things to do, and staying here wasn't going to help.

He unlocked the door and stepped out and bumped accidently into Matthias carrying a sleeping Lukas bridal style. He looked at Denmark quizzically.

"Lukas wore himself out, you know what he's like on coffee. Are you off then?" The Dane spoke softly, obviously trying hard not to wake the sleeping Norwegian in his arms.

Tino nodded. The sooner he was home, the better. He needed to think.

Matthias smiled gently. "I'm sorry about earlier. I was out of hand. Drive carefully". And with that, the tall country continued to carry his love to the bedroom.

Finland was in awe at the display of kindness, but then turned on his heel too and collected his coat and shoes before driving off. Emil was completely forgotten in the drama, but he liked it that way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ̢ô̡ ̮ ̢ô̡ ) ( o̿ ̭ o̿ ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finland gave a sigh of gratitude when he stepped into his house, the familiar scent invading his mind and calming his overwhelming thoughts. Hanatamago barked happily, glad to see her owner after an hour of solitude. Tino knelt down and petted the soft white fur of her head before deciding to get going with the preparations of the sleigh and reindeer for later. He went out the back door and crossed the frost field to get to the stables where his herd of reindeer lived. He spent a few good hours washing, grooming, feeding and simply chatting to them.

Around late lunchtime, he went back to the house, made himself a snack of Kuoritettu Sipulikietto before going to his garage where the sleigh was situated. He spent all afternoon polishing, making adaptions and finally, loading the presents onto the magical vehicle.

At 7:30pm, he ran inside for a big meal before retrieving the Santa costume from his spacious closet and putting it on. He also wore a good couple of layers of socks (around 7 or 8 pairs?) to keep his toes warm throughout the night. He now had an hour and a bit to spare, so, with a content smile, he made himself a warm cup of hot chocolate, and sat on his couch, watching various programmes. Halfway through watching 'The Snowman and his Dog', he realised he had to go. He leapt off the couch, turned the T.V off and ran back to the stables to collect the reindeer. In less than five minutes, the Finn was sitting on the front seat of the sleigh, and was ready to go.

With a hearty call to his eight reindeer, he felt the frosty wind bite his nose and slap his cheeks as they travelled across the field with great speed. Then, suddenly, the ground disappeared. Finland giggled as zero gravity took effect on his stomach. That was his favourite part.

They climbed higher and higher into the night sky, the clouds dispersing with every gallop the herd took. Soon, they were met with a beautiful sight. The night sky was clear, and millions of stars sprinkled across the black carpet give a little light. The moon was astounding. The ivory base glowing gave the clouds below a silvery, magical look. But that wasn't all. The Northern lights were on full display up there. The ribbon of dancing, moving colours made the country's eyes widen in wonder. They too, like the moonlight, reflected on the clouds. Finland could never have been more proud of his country and the things in it. Smiling in delight, he watched them ripple across, from horizon to horizon. But all too soon, he had to bid them farewell as he left the country of Finland behind him.

First stop: Russia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ̢ô̡ ̮ ̢ô̡ ) ( o̿ ̭ o̿ ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finland took a deep breath as he crossed the border of Russia. To say he felt intimidated was an understatement of MASSIVE proportions. In fact, Tino was positive he could feel the eyes of Russia watching him, even above layers of clouds, and quite frankly, he felt like shitting himself. But then again, he felt the exact same way every year. He stopped at Murmansk first, and then quickly made his way around the massive country, hesitating at Moscow to give the country himself a present. He carefully landed on the mansions roof, and reached behind him for the presents. Then, he tip-toed over to where the closest chimney was (there were loads) and jumped down it. He seriously hoped that Russia was asleep or in any other part of the building, just not one of the many lounges.

Finland landed rather gracefully on the floor of the fireplace, which comes with over a century of practise. Surprisingly, there was no soot to accompany him on this way down. He realised that Russia probably made Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania clean these chimneys every day. He let out a sigh of sadness. He wished he could help those guys sometimes, but he didn't want to get involved with Russia any more than he had to.

He quickly scrambled out of the ridiculously clean fireplace and looked around him. Yep, this was a good call, no Russia or any country in sight. He smiled a bit before remembering why he was here and stuffed a present down various stockings. At least Russia let the three Baltic States have stockings. Then the floor above his head began creaking with footsteps, and Finland didn't want to wait to see who they belonged to.

He made his way up and out of the chimney in record time. He mounted his sleigh and they took off, unto another country.

Three hours later, Finland found himself entering the U.S.A. He groaned, it was a pretty big country, and unlike Russia, most of the last WAS inhabited by people. Anyhow, there was no time for dawdling. He stopped at California first, then Nevada. Then Arizona, etc. Halfway through the country, he found himself at the self-proclaimed 'Hero's' house. America's house, like many of the large, rich nations, was huge. Massive. Ginormous. You get the idea. He swiftly scampered down, again, one of the many choices of chimney and found himself in America's Bathroom, much to Tino's horror. He was blushing in embarrassment as he carefully sneaked out of the door and around the house, trying to find the living room. The last thing the poor Finn wanted was to wake the worlds Superpower and have him screaming either about how there was a burglar in his house or 'yay, it's SANTAAAA~. '

He was truly lost, and getting rather annoyed. Why the hell did some nations bother having a huge house? And how did America of all people find his way around? Grumbling under his breath, Tino trudged around the hallways, looking out for anything that might help. He was wasting time, but he knew that if he didn't deliver America's present, he'd certainly hear about it in the next world meeting. Finland stopped suddenly in his tracks. There was a noise coming from one of the closed doors on his left. Did he waken America? Oh crap, what if he-

"Ah!~ A-America…ah…p-please! I need you now!"

Wait. WHAT? Was that England's voice he could hear? What the heck was England doing here at this hour? And what was he talking about-

"Shhh…Just be patient babe…ah…I need to-AH-prepare you f-first…" another voice rang out through the hallway.

"B-but…Mmmph"

Were they? They were…Finland blushed and ran. He didn't want to think about what they were doing back there but his mind wouldn't register. Luckily, he found the stockings (plural because England was there too), and was able to deliver the presents and escape the house in less than a few minutes. Finland never wanted to be in the position again. How could he face those two in meetings from now on?

He drove away with haste and soon found himself in Europe, the last continent on the list. He smiled, soon he could go home and have a well-deserved sleep. His feet and fingers were numb, despite the amounts of socks and gloves applied, and he was certain his nose had frostbite. He still managed to deliver presents, even with a few strange and embarrassing encounters at these houses: Spain, France (naturally), Germany, Prussia (he didn't want to think about how he persuaded Austria to come over), Greece, and last of all, Denmark.

By the time he'd dropped off the last of the presents in Norway, he felt disturbed, scared, embarrassed, worried and strange. The last emotion was stirring in his gut, but he didn't know why it was there. Then he remembered. Sweden was next. Once again, he could feel heat steadily rising to his cheeks, but it was welcomed as it warmed them up and no one was there to see it.

He felt a shiver go down his spine as he crossed over the border line of Norway to Sweden. He deliberately avoided Sweden's house, and got every other persons house done. But once he had delivered the last present in Kalmar, there was no going back. He had to go to Berwald's house, whether he liked it or not. He'd done in previous years, so he could do it now.

He hastily made his way to Stockholm, wanting to get it over once and for all, and quietly landed on Berwald's roof. Sweden's house wasn't a ridiculous size, unlike many other houses he'd stopped by tonight in the country. Instead, it was a modest sized house, much like his own. It was modern and pretty, and it only had one chimney. Good. He took great care in treading across the slippery, snow-covered roof. There had been quite a few accidents tonight, nothing serious, but that could change if he wasn't careful. Once he made it to the chimney, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Now, he just had to climb down the chimn- Finland felt his foot slip on the snow, and he was soon enveloped in darkness as he fell backwards down the chimney. His mouth was open in a silent scream and his eyes widened with surprise.

It felt like years, falling all the way down that chimney, but it soon came to a painful end, as Tino's back made contact with the hard metal of the fireplace gate. A pained groan escaped the boy's mouth upon contact, and he continued to roll, knocking over the gate, until he came to a stop on the hard, wooden floor of Sweden's lounge.

Once he came to a stop, Finland let out another groan as he felt tremendous amounts of pain shooting up his spine and left arm and leg, from the awkward fall. His chest was heaving as his lungs tried to get over the shock of the fall and take in air to keep their host alive. He could feel blood gushing out from wounds all over his body, and an especially nasty one on his cheek and forehead. His vision began to blacken around the edges, and tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes. He could just hear the faint but frantic footsteps of someone coming down the stairs to see what the commotion was about. He let out a soft whimper when he saw two feet come to a halt in front of his head through his hazed vision, then everything went black.

**O_O…Oh dear! Poor Finland! I hate being mean, but that is just the way life is, non? Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the story!:3 Please read and review mon petit amis! It will get me to update quicker!~~~**

**Oh, and I'd like to apologise if I got some of the States in America wrong! I have no idea what states are where seeing as I'm not American, same with Russia and Sweden. **

**P.S If you have any requests for stories that you'd like me to write, just ask in a review and I'll see what I can do, ****¿Sí?**

**P.P.S Try your hardest not to flame, but do give me your honest opinion, oui? Fantastic.**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL! :3**

**-TheSpanishBanana**


	2. Of shock and help

**I'm back! Thanks for being so patient all you lovely reader's, I've been busy these past few days with Christmas and family and 'The Hobbit', etc. (Anyone seen that film? IT'S AMAZING! If you haven't seen it yet, WHY NOT? Book cinema tickets right away you lazy nincompoops! And if you generally dislike 'The Lord of the Rings', then…you're rather strange).**

**Also, I'd like to thank those who've reviewed so far. They've all been very encouraging and they have inspired me to write another chapter so yay!~ Answering Shattered Sparks review: Deeply sorry for the monumental cock-up timeline wise~ I did in fact get my facts wrong, as you have cleverly pointed out:P Well done you. I must confess that I had a moment's thought on that whilst writing that part of the chapter, but me being me (i.e. totally out of it- like Spain) waved off the idea and carried on writing profanities. So yes. Deeply sorry, I'm not usually that bad with history but I had somewhat a blank moment. Thanks for the review, it was muy helpful! ~:'3**

**Oh! And I was going to apologise at the end of the last chapter about the OCC-ness of some/all of the characters, but apparently, that too slipped my tiny brain. **

…**Sorry about that ramble;) **

**So yes, this is my second chapter, filled with fluffy-goodness (I hope;D)**

**DICLAIMER: I unfortunately do not have the liberty of owning the sheer, utter, profound awesomeness that is Hetalia. Which makes me sad. Very sad. In fact, I may just go have a Tamaki moment (a.k.a- sulking in a dark, cold, corner of an abandoned room). **

**WARNING: I, TheSpanishBanana, am about to attempt a 'POV'. Please excuse the crap-ness of it!;P**

**Anyhow~ I have rambled long enough amigos! **

**ENJOY! ;3**

Chapter 2

_Sweden's POV_

I wearily scanned the paperwork in front of my nose. Files were strewn around my mahogany, hand-crafted desk. More piles of paper were stacked up on the floor beside my chair. I internally groaned. Who works on Christmas Eve anyway? Well, I supposed I was better off than some. It was still annoying though. My boss was pressurising me to create a new friendship between me and that idiot Denmark. As if I didn't have enough to do. As I continued my thoughts of self-pity, my stomach interrupted them with a loud grumble. I sighed and looked up at the clock. Half past six, it read. I'd worked hard all day, from seven in the morning till now. I deserved a break. After all, in my rush to get things done before the New Year I'd (rather foolishly) skipped lunch.

I closed the overloaded file and got up. My bones groaned in protest, so I had to have a little stretch to settle them down. It's harder than you think, being a nation. I crossed the room and went downstairs, thinking about the meal I felt like having this evening. Nothing immediately came to mind, so I decided on a simple snack of Räkor.

Whilst the preparations for my meal were underway, I decided that my house was a bit too quiet for comfort. I'll admit that I'm usually quiet myself, but for such a festive evening, it felt wrong to spend it in such silence. However, I didn't feel like listening to the radio as of the time, so I turned on the television instead. The noise calmed my nerves, and I settled onto the sofa, absentmindedly stroking my cat, Edvin's, fur.

I was woken out of my stupor by the beeping of my oven, which signalled that my food was ready. I got up silently to retrieve my meal before the oven burnt it to a crisp and my tasty snack resembled that of England's cooking. Once all was in order, I went back into the lounge and ate my dinner, occasionally glancing at the screen. Edvin snuggled up on my lap, searching for some warmth. I considered lighting a fire before I remembered that Finland was going to be coming later on, and I didn't want him to be met with a face-full of flames. My face flushed at the thought of the boy. I then realised that I hadn't yet hung up my stocking. I ventured down the hallway and into my storage room, searching through the boxes until I found it. I hung it up above the fireplace back in the sitting room and then sat down again, thinking.

'How is Finland doing lately? It's been awhile since I last saw him. Well, actually, it was only a month ago. But that is long enough.' My mind continued to recall the memories of the last meeting we had. How Tino'd sat next to me, how he'd looked a touch feverish (if his cheeks were anything to go by). How I tried to control a blush on my face as his leg accidently brushed mine underneath the table. All those thoughts were present in my head, and I felt a slow but steady blush appearing on my cheeks. I couldn't help it if Tino was so cute, could I? How his violet, glistening eyes widened when I spoke to him. How those cherry lips parted with every breath. How his feathery hair shone in the lighting of the room. How his hips swayed with every step he took. And of course, how his bottom- WAIT. I was getting carried away. By now I knew my cheeks were blood red, and my heart beat was beginning to quicken.

Okay, I'll admit it. I love Tino. A lot. But I could never tell him that, because I worry what his reaction would be. Also, it was no secret that I scare him. I don't want or mean to, but my face is pretty much set in stone. I do try to be sociable, but it's not something that comes naturally to me. So I suppose I come off as a little intimidating. But I still wish that we'll become lovers one day, and that we'll live happily together, as deranged as it sounds.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes wearily beneath my glasses. It was hopeless to wish such impossible things. Yet I couldn't stop. Just imagining that beautiful face of his smiling at me was enough to get me roused up. And to think that I knew Finland the best out of most countries, aside from Estonia. How truly terrifying he could be in war. Not many people have seen the true fighting spirit of the boy, but I had, and I loved him for it.

I looked across the room to the grandfather clock. It was only 18:47, but I was tired after my day of slaving away at my desk, so I called it a night and went upstairs after feeding my cat. I didn't bother showering. I'll leave it until the morning when there would be less risk of me falling over from sleep deprivation. I clumsily yanked off my clothes once I was in my bedroom, and pulled back the covers of my king-sized bed. Dumping the garments on the floor, I clambered into the welcoming embrace of my mattress, and sunk underneath the duvet. However, I couldn't sleep, no matter how hard I tried. So I lay there for who knows how long, and simply thought about Finland. Would he be okay out there this evening? I hoped so. I'd heard that he was rather clumsy at times, and the last thing I wanted was for the Finn to get hurt. Thoughts like these continued to gnaw at my mind, and I couldn't help the feeling of worry which was brewing in my gut. Somehow, I could sense that something was going to happen tonight.

And with a heavy heart, I drifted off into a restless slumber.

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_Normal POV_

A loud noise awoke the tall Swede from his sleep. He shot up in his bed, his mind trying to adjust after his short nap. After a few seconds, he realised that something was happening downstairs. His hand fumbled around in the dark, searching for his glasses. He found them and swiftly put them on, before grabbing a shirt helpfully resting on the floor and rushed out of the bedroom.

He turned a few lights on in the hallway, not wanting to have an accident going down the stairs. He ascended and hurriedly made his way into the living room, having heard a pained groan coming from said place.

He hastily switched on the lights, and was met with a sight that would haunt him forever. Lying on his living room floor, surrounded by soot, general grime and presents, was Finland. But something was wrong. The Finn looked hurt. His face was battered with bruises and cuts, his arm was trapped underneath his body, and his left leg was at an odd and worrying angle. His usually bright eyes were dimmed and glazed over with a look of hurt and confusion, brimming tears threatening to spill. His pink lips were chapped from the cold. The top one was busted, and the two formed in an O-shape, letting out soft pants and groans of agony and despair. His Father Christmas outfit clung to his body, and the once red and white materials were now more of a brownish-black colour, due to the soot. His hair was a mess. Clumps of muck and cobwebs clung to each fine strand, and it was all sticking to his sweaty forehead.

Berwald wasted no time in running over to the crumpled boy. For a minute, words escaped his mind. What was he to do? He searched his frantic mind for ways to help the poor nation. He knelt down beside him just in time to see his eyes flicker shut, long eyelashes fluttering against his battered cheeks.

"T'no?"

No reply. This worried Sweden, and he hurriedly grabbed the boy's free wrist and searched for a pulse.

He let out a sigh of relief when he felt small but steady beats under the pale skin. He let go of the Finn's arm, not wanting his strong hands to do any more damage to the man. Instead, he gently raised the Finn's head off the wooden flooring and inspected his face. It was deathly pale underneath the newly formed bruises and cuts. One cut in particular caught the Swede's attention on Tino's cheek. It was very deep and blood was gushing from the wound. He felt surprisingly calm as he lightly traced a calloused thumb across it, only to pull back as the unconscious boy winced slightly. He pressed a soft kiss against the said boy's forehead before getting up to find a first aid kit.

He returned with it in hand only seconds later. He sat down beside Finland's head and got to work rubbing antiseptic into the cuts and binding the one on his right cheek. He then checked the boy's face, and once deeming it a job well done, he decided it was about time he checked the rest of his body. He sat there for a few seconds, thinking about what to do before he settled with an idea.

He very carefully picked up the knocked out Finn and carried him bridal style up the stairs, steadily taking one step at a time and musing about how light his crush was. He watched Tino's face, studying the calm emotion and tried not to stumble when he unconsciously snuggled into his chest. Berwald slowly walked down the hallway to his bedroom where he then proceeded to gently laying him on his bed, making sure to keep the boy above the covers so he could inspect the body better.

Once certain the Finn was safe, he went back downstairs to retrieve the kit he'd left behind then rushed back. He pulled up a chair beside the bed and silently watched him sleep, questions to what was going on scampering through his mind. He shook his head violently. He was getting distracted, and he had a task to do: Helping Tino.

He stood up and knelt on the bed next to the boy, wondering how he was going to inspect the body. He knew he was going to have to take off the Finn's clothes, and that made the blood travel to his cheeks. But how would Finland react when he woke up?

Damn. He sighed quietly. He'd just have to explain. There was nothing else to it. He was sure Tino would understand.

And so he set to work disrobing the comatose boy. He opted for pulling off the snow-coated boots first, as they seemed the safest option (he took great care when taking off the left boot, as he suspected the leg was broken). Despite his worry to help the Finn as quickly as possible, he spared a minute or two arching an eyebrow at the amount of socks the boy had put on. He estimated around seven or eight pairs going by the sheer size of each foot.

Nethertheless, it was a momentary distraction and soon his mind was back to the task at hand. He peeled off every layer of socks and inspected the bare soles of his feet. They didn't look damaged, only cold, if the colour was anything to judge by.

He slowly worked his way up the Finn's body, until the said boy was left in nothing but his boxers (Berwald yet again had to take a moment to muse over the pattern- the Finnish flag). It was when the boy began to shiver that Berwald realised that he was almost completely exposed to the cool air of the Swede's bedroom. Aforementioned Swede considered giving the Finn a blanket, but he then decided against it. He would tend to the boy's wounds, _then_ give him the covering.

Not wanting the Finn to stay cold any longer than necessary, he began his body inspection.

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By 5am, the job was done. Berwald swiped a hand across his sweaty forehead as he took a glance out of the window. It was still dark, but what was he expecting? It was rarely ever light during the day in Sweden during winter.

Snapping out of those thoughts he looked over to the Finn on the bed. He hadn't moved at all during the past hour or so, and although Sweden was trying his hardest to be gentle, he would've thought the boy had felt something. He'd tended to most of Tino's injuries by himself; the minor cuts and bruises, and the odd pulled muscle (rubbing in soothing oils had always worked for the tall Swede in the past). But injuries such as the major cuts (like the one on his cheek) had to be stitched up, and the fractured left wrist and the broken left leg needed a cast of some sort, so he left those to his personal doctor whom had come round earlier that morning after receiving a call from the stoic man. Between the two of them, they'd helped the little Finn's injuries to heal.

Now the said Finn was lying there peacefully under the covers, not a trace of pain or fear on his cherubic face. Berwald smiled a little. That was good. He didn't want his dear little Finn to be in pain. He especially didn't want to see the face the nation had pulled earlier. It hurt his heart to see the boy in such agony. But alas, he knew that when Tino finally came round, he wasn't going to be in such a good state, so he silently left the boy's side and searched his bathroom cabinets for any painkillers he could find. There weren't any in there though, so he made his way downstairs and rootled through every cupboard he could find in vain hope they would be there.

During Berwald's frantic search, the Finn had begun to stir, the swirling black haze swallowing his mind beginning to clear…

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_Finland's POV_

I could feel pain. An excruciating amount of pain, encircling my entire body. I knew my eyes were open, but they were unseeing, I could only make out colours. Well, blobby colours really. A certain blob of grey stopped right in front of my face, but I wasn't concentrating anymore. All I wanted to do was run away from everything…

'_Is this what it's like to die?' _

Somehow, that lone thought made its way past the haze of blackness creeping into my head. I couldn't stay awake any longer.

A worried voice. "T'no?"

I blacked out.

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It was comforting, to say the least. I felt nothing, thought nothing, said nothing. I was just…nothingness. Which was nice, I suppose. But too soon for my liking, I could feel something. It was gradual at first, taking its time to seep through my body, but then a searing pain burst through my bones, waking me from my slumber.

I stirred a bit, my eyes still closed. They felt so heavy, and I knew I would have a headache if I opened them. I didn't want to move, but my body simply wasn't listening. I stirred again, this time, accidently moving my left arm too suddenly. A muffled whimper escaped my lips as the dull ache became so much more. What had happened?

I felt my senses sharpen gradually. I could hear someone or something moving downstairs, making quite a racket. I could smell…I'm not too certain what that smell was. Something along the lines of honey, sweat and…wood? Nice… my nose scrunched up a bit. I could feel soft sheets beneath my body, using the fingers and toes from my right side to feel (since my left arm clearly didn't want to be moved and I could feel a suspicious throbbing from my left leg, so I didn't want to risk moving that either). As I tried to figure out my surroundings, I could hear someone approaching the room. The footsteps walked straight into the room I was in, that much I could tell. But then they stopped momentarily, which made me frown a bit. Suddenly they moved closer to me, but at a much faster pace. I felt a cool breeze of air brush past my exposed face, telling me that someone was right by me.

I whimpered again, this time it came out clearer as my body began to awaken. I didn't like being watched by this person. I could feel the forceful-ness of their eyes. Who was it? I desperately wanted to ask, but my voice caught in my throat and my mouth refused to form the letters. Their strong gaze never left my face, and my skin began to crawl under the pressure. Why wouldn't this person speak? The silence was killing me.

I almost gasped when I felt a cool/cold hand rest gently on my hot and sweaty forehead. I tried to open my eyes to see this mysterious stranger, but they wouldn't obey. Before I got a chance to do anything, a voice rang through the air.

" 'm s'rry. D'n't me'n t' st'rtl' y'u…"

I lay there in shock for a few seconds, trying to make out what that voice said. It belonged to a man, as only a man can have such a low voice, and that accent…I've heard it before…

Aha! That's it! Swedish! That was a Swedish accent that man spoke in. Oh yeah! I was in Sweden last night and then-

My memories came flooding back, replaying in my head. It seemed as though all time had stopped as I realised where I was and who that person was.

"S-Swed-den?..."

I heard myself say before I even knew I'd spoke. My voice sounded harsh and it cracked as it went up an octave.

The hand on my forehead had stayed there the entire time. I felt my breathing become uneven as I tried to calm down. Why was he looking after me? H-he's my crush…a-and…w-well…he's looking a-after me…

My thoughts became a muddle in my head, and I tried to untangle them desperately. All the while, I could feel a blush creeping into my cheeks.

"C'lm d'wn. Y'u n'ed t' r'st. Y'u t'ok a h'rd f'll d'wn my ch'mn'y, b't y'u're 'lr'ght n'w, I pr'm'se."

I could barely hear him talking through the swarming of my thoughts. I was trying very hard to calm down, but I couldn't. There were so many things I needed to think about! How badly was I hurt? Did he stay up all night looking after me? Where are my reindeer? How long will I be here?

Oh god, I could feel myself hyperventilating. I was going into panic mode, but I couldn't help it! And why won't my eyes open! Once again, I heard his voice trying to sooth me.

"Shhhh…T'no. Ple'se c'lm d'wn. I w'n't h'rt y'u, j'st bre'th'."

I don't know how long it took, but after a while, my head became fully cleared, and my heart beat had returned to normal. However, I could still feel the blood in my cheeks, and my eyes still wouldn't open. Also, I could now feel more parts of my body than before, and not in a good way.

"O-ow…'

A grunt made its way past my lips, shortly followed by a whimper. My head was throbbing, my right cheek felt stingy and heavy, and my left wrist and leg were aching and sore. I felt his soothing hand leave my forehead. I whined a little.

" I kn'w 't h'rts, b't I h've s'me p'ink'll'rs h're 'f y'u w'nt th'm…"

I nodded lethargically, my voice not working. I knew that the pain I was feeling now was only the beginning, and I didn't want to feel the rest. I tried to reach out my good hand for the painkillers, but I never felt the weight of them touching my hand. I frowned and let out a curious whimper.

I felt his eyes on my outstretched arm, but then I felt his cool fingers grasp it and lead it back to my side. I cocked my head in confusion.

" I'll f'ed th'm t' y'u. Y'u n'ed t' st'y st'll s' y'u c'n he'l."

I tried to protest, but then I felt his arm underneath my back, as he slowly and carefully propped me up. I struggled feebly in his hold, still wanting to take the pills on my own, but then I felt the edge of a pill probing at my lips. I was about to tell him that I could feed myself, when he popped the two pills into my opened mouth. I frowned ever so slightly and allowed him to give me the water. I swallowed without any problems, and allowed him to lay me back down again. I hadn't realised how parched I was.

I soon found myself becoming tired as the drugs kicked in, but I wanted to stay awake and ask him questions. But once again, my body betrayed my wishes, and my mind became hazy with sleep. I felt myself snuggle down into the warmth of the bed before dozing off.

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_Normal POV_

Sweden carefully helped the boy take his pills, making sure to not spill any water as the Finn guzzled it down. He then proceeded to helping the boy lie down without nudging any of his injuries. The entire time, Tino's eyes had remained shut, and Berwald was beginning to wonder why he wouldn't open them. Never mind, he was sure it wasn't serious.

He'd felt his heart warm when the boy had weakly called his name, even if it wasn't his human one. He would take care of the little Finn until he got better, that was for sure.

As the said boy slept, Sweden ran a hand through his matted hair. It needed washing, but that could wait until later, the Swede decided. He let a small smile drift onto his face, his heart went fuzzy as he watched the younger nation sleep soundly. He was so beautiful like this. Well, actually, he was always beautiful, but especially here. As he watched the younger nation, his body clock caught up with him, and he stifled a yawn. He watched as the Finns eyelashes fluttered against his milky, soft skin, just imagining the colour behind those eyelids. He bent down slowly and kissed Tino's forehead.

"Sl'ep w'll, T'no"

**There you go!:3 A second chapter up! I apologise for the shortness of it, but I had to rush this a bit!**

**Sorry for all the OCC ness!**

**R&R please guys, as I'll update quicker if you do!~~~~**

**School starts tomorrow for me, so I'd like to apologise in advance if I don't upload a new chapter in the next few days…**

**Happy New Year to you all! ;3**

**-TheSpanishBanana**


	3. Of Christmas and Confusion

**I'm sorry it's taken so long! I have been supersuper busy lately with the colossal amounts of snow England has been receiving!:3 had two snow-days so far (meaning two days off school because of too much snow) and there's more on the way tonight! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!~~~~**

**Anyhow, I have now started school again, and most of us know what that's like…exams, mock tests, boring Physics lessons, MATHS (ugh), Geoggers lessons with fake spiders being put on my hand whilst I was talking to a friend, etc.**

**Yet again, I find myself in need of another ramble! (God I love those). Anyone looking forward to the next series of Doctor Who?! IT LOOKS AWESOME! SOUFFLE GIRL! YAAAAY~ I'm so excited! ~ (as you can probably tell ;). And Miranda was on top form this New Years I see ;) SUCH FUN!**

**I'd like to thank those who've reviewed so far! They really keep me motivated so keep them coming lovely readers! :'D I read them all! ;)**

**So here it is! (Merry Christmas, everybody's having fuuun, 2 3 4! (8))…Sorry about that, I was just tempted, you know? *Ahem***

**Chapter 3 amigos, ENJOY! ;D **

Chapter 3

_Normal POV_

Berwald stirred in his sleep before slowly opening his eyes. He instantly groaned. The sun was blaring through the window, shining right onto his face and it bothered him. He sat up lethargically and looked around his room whilst his brain struggled to catch up with the events of the night before. Then it clicked. He shot up suddenly, the chair he was currently residing on falling over. He looked down on his bed (where he'd laid his head during his slumber) and sure enough, he could make out the lithe form of a body under the thick duvet and a tuft of hair poking out of the top.

Only then did the situation really register in his head; Tino was sleeping in his bed! The boy he'd liked for so many centuries was now here. In his room. In his BED. …Only not in THAT way. He sighed softly but regretfully. Nethertheless, the Finn looked like he was catching up on some needed sleep. Berwald felt his facial muscles tug a bit as he smiled gently. It became tiresome after a while for he let his face return to its usual façade. He stood there for a bit, pondering on what he was to do next. He was rudely interrupted by his stomach as it voiced its needs.

He checked the clock. It read 11:47am. Yep, it was about time he made himself some breakfast. Would Tino like something? He didn't really want to wake the boy, but he didn't want to be a rude host either. Weighing out the options in his mind, he finally decided. He would wake Finland.

Feeling ever so awkward about the entire thing, he slowly extended a hand and rested it on where Tino's shoulder should be underneath the covers and carefully gave it a light shake. This action received no reaction whatsoever. He tried again, giving it only the slightest bit more force. Again, nothing. He tried again. This time a slight shift, but nothing much more.

"T'no?"

He never got a reply, so he decided to try a different method. He walked over to the opposite side of the grand bed. Sure enough, he had a nice view of the boy's sleeping face. Well, the forehead if anything, as the rest was snuggled under the blankets. This time he poked the Finn's bandaged forehead lightly. A slight murmur could be heard, though it was hard to make out what he said. Figuring that this method was working, he did it again. And this time the boy let out a protesting moan about wanting more sleep.

Sweden chuckled under his breath. That was so Finland. He wasn't having any of that though, so he tried talking to the younger Nation.

"T'no? 're y'u aw'ke?"

The bundle gave a grunt, signalling his awakening. His head popped up above the covers, his eyes still closed and his face contorted with annoyance.

"Whatdo y'u want, Lukas? I'm tryiiing to sleep…"

The Finnish boy mumbled. Berwald's eyebrows quirked in surprise. Did Tino not realise where he was? Wait-what if he now had amnesia and he'd forgotten everything that'd happened? He'd have to explain quickly before the other got the wrong idea about why he was pretty much naked in Sweden's be-

"Weeell? I'm going baack to sleep seeing as there's noo reason to be awaaake…"

The giant Swede's thoughts were cut off with this statement. Without thinking, he spoke.

"W'it."

He watched as the semi-asleep Finn's face contorted into a look of confusion at the voice. His nose scrunched up a bit, as did his eyebrows, and he looked quite adorable, if Berwald must say so.

"…You're not Lukass…"

At this, the Finn's eyes began to open slowly. The amethyst coloured orbs becoming wide as his eyes focused on the person in front of him.

"Whaaa-? S-sweden? Why am I- Oh."

Said Swede watched the display with interest. The amount of emotions the boy could express in such a short period of time was rather fascinating. However the show didn't last for long as he noticed the tears swelling in the other's eyes. He began to panic.

"Ah! Pl'ase d'n't cry! Wh'ts wr'ng? Ar' y'u h'rt'ng anywh're?"

The boy carefully slid himself into a sitting position, wincing as he pulled some of the strained muscles in his side. Tears began to drip down his cheeks. Berwald stared as the smaller nation lifted his right hand to wipe away the tears. He sniffed.

"I-I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean t-t-to inconvenience y-you! I-I'll take my l-leave s-s-soon!"

The Swede extended a hand and gently touched the other's face, caressing his uninjured cheek lightly. The boy accidently flinched, unused to the human contact, and Berwald withdraw the arm quickly.

"S'rry. B't n', y'u're n't le'ving. N't yet. Y'u ar'n't r'ady t' w'lk ar'und r'ght n'w. It's n' tr'uble, s' d'n't w'rry 'bout 't, 'kay?"

The Finn looked uncertain, but nodded slowly all the same.

"W'uld y'u l'ke 'nyth'ng t' eat?"

As if on cue, Tino's stomach gave a loud rumble. Said nation blushed and looked away from his crush. Berwald studied the boy, trying not to give a light chuckle before asking.

"D' y'u w'nt 'nyth'ng in p'rt'c'l'r?"

Finland turned his gaze back onto the giant Swede and shook his head, not trusting his voice. Berwald made a noise of thought and then decided.

"P'nc'kes?"

The Finn's face sported a quizzical look for a second or two, but soon morphed into a half smile.

"S-sounds wonderful, th-thanks."

Berwald gave the boy's body a quick once-over, and once deeming it okay to leave for a few minutes, got up and left. He didn't hear the Finn's quiet sigh.

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Lukas groaned. He hadn't been woken up so rudely in quite a while. Who cared if Santa had delivered presents? It was 5:27am! Who wakes up that early on Christmas day? Really, he'd have to thank Finland once again for making his start so energetic. He was currently sitting on the couch in his lounge, watching tiredly as Emil and Matthias shredded their stockings in order to get their presents out. He might've found it amusing if he hadn't felt so god damn exhausted. He really felt like making himself some coffee, but he knew that Denmark would only make a fuss again, and to be honest, he couldn't be bothered to get up. So he settled to just watching as the two excited children (yes, Matthias would be classified as a child in this situation) tore away the wrapping paper on their new toy's. He snuggled into the dressing gown he had on and contently stared at the wall. Matthias noticed the Norwegians lack of enthusiasm, and wasn't going to let that pass today of all days.

"Noooorge! Come on! Your presents are over here too! Hurry up already!"

Said Norwegian was snapped out of his thoughts as the thick-accented voice cut through the air. He shifted his gaze from the wall (where he'd been staring at previously) and into the sea-blue eyes of the Dane. Said Dane looked as if all his best wished had just come true. Literally. His face was lit up in childish excitement, and Lukas couldn't help the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a half-smile at the expression.

"I'll open mine later, Matthias."

The tall Dane pouted.

"Whaaaat? No way Norgie! You have to open your presents from Santa nooow!"

He whined. Why didn't the stuffy Norwegian see? They always, always opened Santa's presents first thing! And he sure as hell wasn't going to break that tradition just because he felt a bit tired! Denmark smirked, and quietly shuffled over to Lukas in an innocently suspicious manner. It didn't work.

"What are you doing Denmark? I said I'll open them later, but not now."

"Don't be a party pooper Norge!"

"Don't call me that."

"What, a party pooper or Norge?"

"…Both"

"Whyyy?"

"It's annoying."

"Hmph."

By that point, the Dane had scooted up right next to the lounging Norwegian. Norway gave him an untrusting glare.

"Seriously, what are you doing Denmark?"

He didn't get an answer, as the 'King' of Scandinavia got up in lightning speed and picked up Norway all in one smooth motion. He swiftly continued to put said Norwegian over his back before marching over to where the stockings and Iceland were and dumping the short nation right in the middle of it all. There was a shocked silence for a minute but then Iceland spoke up.

"Oh. Hello brother, I thought you'd be opening your presents later."

Once Norway's brain had caught up with the happenings of the past few seconds, he glared at Denmark.

"Why did you do that?"

Said Dane snickered and pressed a neatly-wrapped present onto his lap.

"It's Christmas! Do I need another reason? Now, open that present and stop being a Scrooge!"

He smiled broadly, waiting for the uptight nation to move. All he received was a small huff from the cold country, but he proceeded to unwrap the gift nethertheless. Matthias smiled and sat down next to the delicate Nordic and unwrapped some more presents. Iceland and Mr Puffin were examining a fishing set they'd received. All was going well.

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Once Berwald was safely out of earshot and making some delicious-smelling pancakes, Finland decided that he'd use that time to recollect what'd happened. He remembered the falling part, and the pain. But he didn't remember much else after that point. No, wait, he remembered the sound of the doctor's voice floating through his memory…But yes. That was it. He sighed softly. How much damage had been inflicted on his body anyway?

He gently reached down (wincing as he pulled the stretched muscle on his side) and removed the rest of the bed covers. Well, he could honestly say that he hadn't been expecting that. He flexed his legs but stopped short and cried out quietly at the pain shooting up his left leg. Crap. Judging by the fact it was bandaged and the way it gave a sickly click every time he moved it, it was broken. As was his wrist. He examined the light blue cast adorning his skinny arm, which the doctor had probably applied earlier. He tried his hardest to not move said parts of his body whilst he checked the rest. His chest was covered in bindings, same with his forehead. The weight of it told him so. He carefully lifted his right hand up to examine the damage on his face. It wasn't too bad. His fingers traced the bump of a patch of gauze and medical tape covering his cheek, and the rough texture of the bandage piled on his head. Next, he led his fingers to his hair. He grimaced. He could tell it was dirty, if the clumps of soot that he pulled out were anything to go by. He pulled his fingers out of the cobweb-infested hair and carefully traced his index finger around the outline of his right eye. That was the final issue. He couldn't see through that eye, and now that he was more awake, it became obvious. He was scared. Did he perminately blind himself? He hoped not. But how? He didn't remember hitting his eyes at all during the accident. He knew he'd need to tell Sweden some time.

Damn it, he needed a shower, but he couldn't get up, and most likely wouldn't be finished before Sweden came up with his breakfast. He swallowed dryly. That was another problem. Sweden. He was being so nice and friendly-well, he was attempting to be friendly anyhow. And yet all he could do was sit around and do nothing! Also, seeing his face all the time made his stomach mass produce butterflies and he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it for long. He looked down, tears brimming over the edges. Sweden would never love him, or so he'd convinced himself. That's when he noticed that he wasn't wearing anything apart from his boxers. He squeaked.

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_Berwald's POV_

I searched frantically in the kitchen for the ingredients required. I didn't want to leave the boy alone a second longer than I had too, but even then it seemed too long. He wasn't in the best condition, to put it mildly. I finally found the eggs after a couple of minutes of yanking random foods out of the cabinets. I set it on the counter along with the other things. I quickly turned on the stove and pulled out a frying pan from the drawer underneath my sink. I thought to myself as I fished out a bowl and began to mix the batter. What happened to make him fall like that last night? How long will it take to get better? The doctor estimated a couple of weeks, but I hoped it would be sooner. Not because I wanted him out of my house, but because I wanted to see him smiling again. I wanted to hear that tinkling, cheery laugh of his again. I didn't want him to stay cooped up indoors, covered head to toe in bandages. I didn't want him to miss the New Year celebrations- wait. Wasn't today Christmas Day? It was! I stopped my sporadic whisking and through the window. It was snowing, despite the sun that filtered through the grey, hurrying clouds. I sighed softly. Tino shouldn't be in bed on such a special day. In fact, if it were any normal Christmas, he'd be over at Norway's house, playing in the snow with Iceland and Denmark whilst Norway and I would watch with quiet content. Alas, it wasn't a normal Christmas, and there wasn't much he could do.

Deeming the batter ready, I poured a ladle full onto the pan, satisfied with the quiet sizzling and steam that came from it. When it'd turned from yellow to golden, I slid it carefully onto a plate. I wasted no time in making another 3, two for each of us. Then I packed the ingredients away and got an assortment of sauces. I carried it all on a tray, and proceeded to the living room. On my way down the hall, I tripped on something. I carefully set the tray down on the surface of a chest of drawers that sat in the corridor, before inspecting the source of my distress. It was a present. And a beautifully wrapped one at that. It was small, but heavy, and was neatly wrapped in dark blue tissue paper adorned with a bright yellow ribbon. It reminded me of my flag, and I smiled gently. There was a tag attached, which read; _'To Sweden, I hope you have a magical Christmas, from Santa Claus.'_

My eyes widened. So this was the present he was delivering to me? I felt my heart and stomach flutter with happiness, but it turned into worry as I heard a girlish squeak sounding from upstairs. I placed the present down on the chest, making a note to open it later. But for now, I picked up the tray, I quickly but warily made my way to my room, being watchful to not spill anything. When I got there, I flung the partially closed door open, and surveyed the room with lightning speed. My eyes glanced over the boy on my bed.

"T'no? Ar' y'u 'lr'ght? Wh't h'ppen'd?"I nervously inquired. Did he hurt himself? I wasn't sure, although it seemed unlikely as he hadn't moved much since I left. Finland looked at me through his matted fringe. From hear I could easily make out how wide his eyes were, and I couldn't help but waste a second losing myself in those bright amethysts. I quickly snapped out of it as he spoke.

"A-ah! I-it's nothing! I'm f-f-fine thank you! J-just surprised, I-is a-all." He gabbled, too fast and uncertain for me to leave it be. I frowned a little, but clearly that wasn't a good idea as he let out another high pitched squeak. I recognised my mistake immediately and smoothened out my face. I set the tray down on the floor next to the bed and then walked over to him slowly, not wanting to frighten the boy any more than I already had.

"D'n't be 'fraid, I w'n't h'rt y'u. I w's j'st c'nc'rned." I coaxed him quietly. I sat down on the bed beside him, making each action as comforting as possible. He flinched as I sat in front of him. His eyes were transfixed on my face, and a prominent blush adorned him. I brushed it off though, probably just the heat getting to him. I noticed something that I hadn't before. His right eye. It seemed unfocused somehow. Sort of staring into space although it was still trained on me. I extended a hand, and gently cupped his good cheek, wanting to get a closer look at it. His skin felt so warm underneath my fingertips, and even though his eyes got even bigger, and he flinched again, I didn't let go. I bought his face closer to mine, so close that if I leant down a couple of centimetres, our lips would brush. As enticing as that aspect was, there were more pressing issues at hand. I pushed the naughty thoughts away for the time being and concentrated. Clearly Tino wasn't too comfortable with our new predicament, because he emitted a small whimper and tried to pull back.

"Shhhhhh, I j'st n'ed t' ch'ck s'meth'ng a s'cond…" I whispered, lifting a hand and pushing his dirty hair from his face to get a better view. I gently traced my thumb around the edge of his eye, studying the slight milky colour to it. He twitched as my calloused fingers rubbed small circles underneath it. I needed to know.

"T'no, c'n y'u s'e thr'ugh th's ey'?" I asked, my voice soft. He visibly tensed and adverted his eyes, tears threatening to spill again. After a couple of moments, he shook his head slowly. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"I d'dn't th'nk s'. Is 't p'inf'l in 'ny w'y?"

Again, he shook his head.

"I just- I c-can't s-see through i-it…"His voiced cracked a bit, but no tears fell. I let go of the boy's cheek, but left my finger hovering over his unseeing eye.

"C'n y'u cl'se 't f'r me pl'ase?" He did as I asked, albeit a touch uncertainly. When his eyelid flickered shut over the vibrant orb, I lightly fingered over the entire area. I may not have a medical degree, but I've had my share of plenty of battles, so naturally I had to be trained enough to see to some injuries. Then I noticed it. I pulled my hand away after another second or two, and sat up again, letting go of his face. His blush was still apparent, and was brighter than ever. I let it go though, thinking of a way to explain it to him.

"S-s-so? What's wrong?"

I hesitated for a second before telling the boy.

"It's n'thing t'o b'd, n'thing t' r'ally w'rry 'bout. It's 'nly t'mp'r'ry, b't I'm n't s're h'w l'ng 't'll l'st. I'm s'rry."

His face was solemn as he took in the information. But then a look of hope spread over him.

"So it's not p-permanent? " I nodded my head in conformation. A small smile spread onto his delicate features. I couldn't help but smile back for a split second, but I then composed myself. Smiling was effort, anyhow. I was still concerned though.

"I'm c'rious, why d'd y'u squ'ak e'rli'r?"

At this, his already flushed face turned an impressive shade of crimson. He looked away from my face and refused eye contact. He looked highly embarrassed, and for a moment, I was worried he was going to have a seizure. But before I could inquire, he stuttered out a reply.

"I-I was l-l-looking…A-at the d-damage, y-you know? A-and I c-c-couldn't h-help but notice t-that I a-am only w-wearing m-my…my b-boxers…" He ended the sentence with an awkward cough. I couldn't help an embarrassed flush spreading over my cheeks before shaking my head.

"Ab'ut th't, th' d'ct'r c'me th's m'rn'ng, 'nd h'd t' insp'ct y'u, s' h' t'ok aw'y y'ur cl'th's." This wasn't entirely true, I'll admit. But I wasn't about to confess that I was the one who'd undressed him. What would he think of me then? I know that it was an emergency, but he'd still be embarrassed, and so would I.

"O-oh…Umm, c-could I have my c-clothes b-back, p-p-please?"

I studied his face. He seemed to be trying to cover up his obvious lack of clothing, and as much as I wanted to make him feel comfortable, it wasn't the most practical thing to do right now. I sighed.

"I c'n't, s'rry. I n'ed t' mon'tor y'ur h'alth f'r th' t'me b'ing." I hoped I didn't come across as pervy, it was just true. He had nasty wounds all over his body, even in some more intimate area's (I'd let the doctor tend to those), so covering them up wouldn't really be very helpful in the long run. He boy looked uneasy with that answer. He also looked tired.

"Lie d'wn f'r a b't. H've s'me br'akfast, it'll m'ke y'u fe'l b'tter." I got off the bed and went to reach for the tray. And although the boy looked awake, he gave in and pulled up the covers. I plumped the pillows behind him, and in return received a grateful smile, showing off his perfect little teeth. I felt the corners of my mouth twitching and my face heating up. I propped the tray up on his lap and took my own portion to my seat next to the bed. We made small talk throughout the meal about random stuff. Mainly what we'd both been up to, though Tino seemed a little unsettled. I finally took notice when his cutlery fell onto his plate with a metallic clang, and both of his hands covered his mouth, his eyes wide and frantic. I knew what was about to happen. As quick as a flash a whipped the boy into my arms and ran into the joint bathroom, where he proceeded to vomit up his breakfast into the toilet. I rubbed soothing circles into his bare back, being careful not to put too much pressure onto the bruises that littered the pale skin. Once he was finished, he smiled weakly at me, and I fetched a flannel from the sink. I brought it back to him slightly dampened, and washed his sweaty face as well as I could.

"Sorry about that…Your pancakes went to waste…" He murmured quietly. I smiled at him for the billionth time today, it seemed.

"It's n't a pr'bl'm, I'd r'th'r y'u g't 't 'out 'f y'ur syst'm th'n h've 't m'ke y'u Ill." I stopped wiping for a second and reached up to flush the toilet and its contents away. He lay down lethargically, his forehead resting on the cool tile. His eyelids were fluttering, and I could tell that he'd tired himself out again. I washed out the flannel and knelt beside him, petting his locks of pale blonde hair, trying to soothe him into some needed slumber.

"S…Sweden… "

I looked down at the source of the broken voice, my hand movements ceasing and I tried to hear the quite, incoherent words spilling past his lips.

"L-later…Can I have a shower…? …Please?"

I began my hand movements again, attempting to reassure the frail boy.

"Of c'urse…" I assured him.

He turned his head, and gave me one last smile, this one even smaller and weaker than the previous, before his eyelids closed, and I saw his chest move with even breathes. I looked down at the Finn in front of me. He was so beautiful, even covered in grime and bandages. He would always be beautiful I decided. A small shiver down his spine was enough to break my trance. He'd been lying on the cold tile for long enough. I hooked an arm beneath his torso and knee's, and carried him back to his (well, my) bed. I tucked him in, and sat beside him for a while, but my mobile to make an annoying noise. I recognised it as my ringtone. I quickly found the device in my coat pocket, which was draping off the seat, and took a look at the screen. Surprise surprise, the caller was no other than the idiot, Mathias.

Not wanting to disturb Tino, I hastily jabbed the 'Pick up' button and walked out of the room. I sighed as I held the mobile to my face.

"Wh't d' y'u w'nt?" I asked, my voice gruffer than I'd expected it to come out. I could tell that Denmark was a little put off too, if the pause was anything to go by. He soon snapped out of it though.

"Dude! Don't get pissy with me! It's Christmas duuuuh! A time to celebrate with loved ones? Ever heard of it? Speaking of that, where are you? You were supposed to arrive an hour ago stupid! I mean I can understand why Finny-boy may be late, but what's your excuse? Not trying to bail out are we? 'Cus you know I'll just come over there and drag you out of your stuffy shell!~"

His irritating voice rang in my ears, making me wince. I swear that guy could talk forever non-stop if nobody cut in. I twitched again at the appalling nickname the idiot had for Tino. The rest of it was just a gabble of noise. I felt the need to communicate my annoyance.

"Sh't 'p f'r one s'cond, 'kay? Wh't th' h'll 're y'u y'pping ab'ut th's t'me?"

Again, another blissful gap of silence from the other end.

"Whaaaaaaaat? Don't tell me you forgot?! We're all supposed to be at Norge's house! So where are you? You came last year! You have to come today! Or I'll come over there, _Ja_?"

I sighed and massaged my temples. The Dane really knew how to cut my fuse short. He was still waffling on, and in the end I felt the compelling need for him to simply shut up.

"I'm n't c'ming."

That worked. The idiot stopped midsentence. After a minute, he spoke up again.

"What was that?"

I growled quietly.

"I s'id, I'm n't c'ming, 'nd ne'ther is F'nland."

Another minute of beautiful silence.

"Why not? And why isn't Finland coming? How'd you know anyway- Oh! Is he over at yours?~ Did you finally get some last night? You did, didn't you!~~~~ NOORGGEEE! Listen to this-"

"Sorry about him, he can't help but be an idiot at Christmas."

I recognised the stoic voice of Norway, as well as the faint whining sound of Mathias trying to get possession of the phone again in the background.

"It's f'ne." I heard Lukas arguing with Denmark for a second before he clearly gained control of the situation and carried on the phone conversation.

"So why aren't you two coming?"

I sucked in a breath. I didn't want them to worry about the boy, but there wasn't really a way out of this. Anyhow, they were practically family, so I shouldn't keep secrets.

"F'nland isn't f'el'ng t'o g'od r'ght n'w."

It felt weird to say 'Finland' instead of 'Tino', but I didn't want them to get the wrong idea's. I could practically hear the clogs whirring inside the Norwegian's head.

"Why? Did you two have some se-"

"N'!" I almost shouted down the phone. Is that all they had on their mind's these days?

"Oh. Okay. So what's wrong with him then?" The emotionless voice queried.

"H' j'st h'd a b't 'f an acc'd'nt, th't's 'll. He's f'ne n'w, I'm l'oking 'fter h'm." I reassured my neighbouring country.

"Really? Can we come over and see him? Is he in pain?" Did I just sense a touch of emotion in that voice? I tried not to ponder on that fact too much and to instead focus on the task at hand.

"Tr'st m', he's f'ne, j'st a l'ttle t'red. C'uld y'u h'kd 'ff all v'sit's f'r a c'uple of d'y's? H' n'ed's s'me t'me…" I confirmed. Lukas didn't reply for a while, and just when I thought he'd left, he talked.

"Okay, we'll call back soon. I've just got to go save the idiot from brother's Puffin. Bye Sweden."

"By'."

I hung up and sighed in relief. I walked back into the bedroom and was pleased to see that the phone call hadn't disturbed the Finn's rest. I placed a quick kiss to the boy's patched up forehead.

**That took forever! Sorry if it's a bit shitty, been a long week. Hope you guys enjoyed it nethertheless. I will try and update more regularly. I'll start the next chapter tomorrow and it'll hopefully be up by Wednesday at the latest!:3**

**Leave a review if you have time, as I really like to know what you guy's think of the story so far!~**

**Next chapter preview: Finland's bath time, the Nordic's come round, and more DenNor and SuFin!;3**

**Until then, stay cool amigos!~**

**-TheSpanishBanana**


	4. Of Idiots and Family

**Hola again amigos!:3 Once more I have settled myself down on the chair of Fanfiction and got writing after weeks!~ I'm not going to have a massive ramble as I am somewhat worn out from a tiringly depressing but funny week at school **** Sorry for taking ages to update! **

**Just a side note though, if any of you out there are professor Layton fans then, one; I salute you, and two; go check out mi hermanas hilarious Fanfiction. It's called 'In which Descole's cold is made even worse'. It really is fab!;) Oh! And her pen name is Eriaana, so go check it out NOW!~;D**

**Also a warning for future references; There may be swearing in this chapter (I don't know yet) and the rating may go up;) *waggle of le eyebrows*…;P You'll have to see cheeky reader!~**

**So! With that little note I think it is that time of the year to announce a disclaimer, sí? Iggy darling, would you do it please?;3**

**Britain-*sigh* If you insist. This random person does not own any of the Hetalia characters, including myself. *Sips tea in a gentlemanly fashion*.**

**Me-*Pats Iggy on the head and calls America to tell him to come over. *Righhtt!~ **

**Britain-Oi! You wanke-**

**Me-Now now Iggy, don't get violent ;3 Here's another chapter mi gentes! **

_Tino's POV_

'_Ugh…I feel crap…' _The thought pounded over and over in my head as I felt Berwald pick me up off the cool tiles of his bathroom. I let my eyelids rest against my cheeks for a bit longer until I felt the soft cushions of the bed hit my bare back. I wasn't in the mood for sleeping, as I'd basically been doing nothing but sleep ever since my arrival. I felt myself being tucked underneath the covers by big, gentle hands, and it took all I had to suppress a smile and a blush. But I knew I had to keep it hidden. I can't bear to think what he'd do if he found out about my secret crush on him. The tell-tale signs of him sitting next to me became more apparent by the second. I could feel the intensity of his eyes roaming my face. I couldn't tell him to stop it, as I was supposed to be asleep at this point in time. I sighed internally. I'd literally just vomited up any food I had left in my system, and I could feel my stomach twisting in protest at the lack of supplies I had in it. My entire body was sticky with sweat, and the compelling need to have a shower was stronger than ever. I didn't move. Instead I just laid there silently as I felt my skin prickle as his gaze observed my exposed skin.

I was about to give in; to tell him I wasn't tired after all and that I just wanted a shower when I heard a strange tinkling noise, muffled as if covered by something. I could somewhat feel his surprise, as he hesitated a second before rustling around could be heard and giant footsteps led him out of the room. I could only partially hear the conversation, as murmurs and noises of irritation drifted into the room. I heard a short and snappy "I'm n't c'ming", and an "It's f'ne", but that was about all. So ever so quietly, I opened my eyes (well, one of them, anyway) and sat up, again being careful not to nudge any of my more serious injuries. From that position, I could hear a bit better. I smiled at my success.

"F'nland isn't f'el'ng t'o g'od r'ght n'w."

My eyes widened. He was talking about me? I suddenly felt the need to hear more. I leaned forward and strained my ears to listen as much as they could. After a couple of moments of more silence, the same gruff voice spoke again.

"N'!"

I jumped. His tone of voice was angry, and it scared me a little. Who was he talking to? What were they talking about? I wanted to jump out of bed and snatch the phone out of his hands, but I couldn't. I growled quietly under my breath. I wanted to know what was going on!

"H' j'st h'd a b't 'f an acc'd'nt, th't's 'll. He's f'ne n'w, I'm l'oking 'fter h'm."

Again, about me. My heart pounded a bit. That meant he was thinking about me! I could feel heat rising steadily to my cheeks, and my heart swelled up when I heard that he was 'looking after' me. I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear the rest of the phone conversation, and so I was caught off guard when I finally heard the steady footsteps making their way towards the bedroom.

I quickly got under the covers and pretended to be sleeping. I really am good at acting, if I say so myself, although there are things I couldn't hide. My blush was one of them. I sincerely hoped that he didn't notice it and took it as being too hot in here or something. But wouldn't that only cause him more concern? AGH! Why was I such a bother? I suddenly felt a cool, large hand on my face, and then pressure was applied on my forehead. What was he doing? Was he changing my bandages? No, it wasn't his fingers that were on my head- wait, were those lips? My eyes instantly shot open. My theory was correct. Sweden was kissing my head! His lips lingered on my bandaged forehead for only a couple of seconds, but to me, it seemed like years. He turned away quickly and went into the bathroom, without casting a glance at me. He hadn't noticed that my eyes were open then.

As soon as he was out of the room, I shot up in bed, injuries forgotten. Berwald…had just…_kissed _me? But why? I'm certain it wasn't because of love. He would never see me in that way, to him I was nothing but a relative of some sorts. A friend. Definitely NOT his lover, and I never would be. I hadn't noticed I was crying until a tear fell onto the spotless sheets, creating a wet splodge which dissolved into the cream surface. My right hand rose to my face, and I pulled it back quickly after feeling the wet trails sliding down my cheeks. I sniffed pathetically._ 'I love Sweden…no, I love_ _Berwald…'_ My mind kept up silly thoughts like these when the toilet flushed, but I barely noticed the sound. My mind was too enveloped in self-pity and misery that I didn't notice the bathroom door open, and its occupant race over to me. I only snapped out of it when I felt hands cradling my face.

"Wh't 's 't? D'd y'u h've 'n n'ghtm're? Ar' y'u 'n pa'n?"

My eye(s) suddenly focused on him again, my mind coming out of its temporary shell. I blushed heavily but the tears didn't stop. Instead, they fell faster and harder, not able to slow for even a second. Small whimpers and whines left my lips before I could stop them. Then suddenly I was warm. Heat was seeping through my body as my mind processed what was happening. Sweden was hugging me. He pulled me into his lap and began to rock me back and forth in a soothing matter, much like he did to me when we were young and I had a scary dream. We sat there for what felt like hours, but only must've been around 3 minutes. When my tears dried and the only noises I made were soft sniffles, he released me.

I fell back onto the bed, no longer having the energy to keep myself upright. My breath was laboured from all the sobbing, and I could see a wet patch on his shirt on one of his broad shoulders where I'd buried my face. He looked down at me, a soothing hand stroking my hair as he coaxed me into calming down.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh…T'no, C'lm d'wn, I'm h'r'…"

I nodded slowly, watching as he stared into my eyes with his own deep blue ones. I blushed, and I knew he could see it. I felt so embarrassed, having him seeing me looking so weak and helpless, but I suppose it was a little too late for that now. I curled into a foetal position on the bed, feeling very self -conscious with him raking his eyes over me. I was still practically naked, after all. His hand movements stopped after a while and I could tell he wanted to say something.

"Wh't's wr'ng?" I didn't look at him, not wanting to have any eye contact with his piercing orbs, in case I'd lose myself in them and stupidly blurt out the truth. I just shook my head weakly, not wanting to speak. I heard him sigh quietly before he placed a finger underneath my chin, and forced my head around so he could see me better. I flushed furiously and tried to pull away, but he wasn't having any of that.

"W'uld y'u l'ke a b'th?" I was caught off guard with that question, as I'd been expecting another interrogation on my thoughts. I soon snapped out of it, and whilst adverting my gaze I nodded; I hated feeling so dirty. He stood slowly, and before I knew it, he'd picked me up and was carrying me bridal style into the grand bathroom that I'd had the pleasure in throwing up in not an hour ago. I squeaked at first, surprised with the action, but then proceeded to cling to his neck for dear life. Berwald really was tall, and I didn't feel like taking another pounding to the bones if I carelessly fell. Once in the lavishly decorated room (for a bathroom, that is) he carefully placed me on the toilet seat before going over to the bath and turning on the taps, making sure the ratio of hot water to cold water was perfect. He then walked over to the wall with cabinets dotted everywhere and began to rummage around in one of them, searching for something. I frowned slightly; confused at his actions before the stitches in my cheek and forehead stung and I returned my facial muscles into their relaxed position.

He then made a noise of triumph and closed the cabinet doors, a _clunk_ resounding in the room as he did so. In his hands he held four bottles: Shampoo, conditioner, body scrub and bubble bath. Wait- bubble bath? Why? It seemed a bit inappropriate to me, but that wasn't to say I don't like bubble baths, as I do, it's just…not the time. He set them aside and leaned over the tub to run a hand in the water that was now filling half the bath. His facial expression didn't change, but he clearly didn't find the temperature satisfactory as he twisted the tap labelled 'Hot', trying to get more of the warmer water. He then turned around and swiped the bottle of bubble bath and poured a decent amount in. I couldn't help but smile a bit. Yes, I was a bit of a child inside, but who doesn't find bubble bath fun? I watched as the bright blue, gloopy product gracefully sunk into the water, and I felt a twinge of happiness at the sheer size of some of the bubbles.

After a few more minutes, I heard the taps squeak in protest as the Swede turned them off. Silence filled the air, and I tensed a bit. I wasn't a fan of silence. He turned to me, and I swore that there was a faint blush dusting his usually pale face. His eyes still held mine in a death grip though, and he walked towards me hesitantly. Once in front of me, the tall Swede knelt down and looked up into my eyes.

"C'me 'n."

I nodded, but then it sunk in. I had to undress. That means taking off the only item of clothing that was protecting my last shred of dignity. My slow nod quickly transformed into a frantic shake of the head, my cheeks lighting up fiercely. I had no intention of undressing in front of my crush, it would be too embarrassing! I'd faint! My heart was pounding erratically in my chest, and Berwald seemed to sense my discomfort, as he tried to sooth me with gentle words.

"If 't b'th'rs y'u th't m'ch, y'u c'n 'lw'ys t'ke 'ff y'ur cl'thes 'n th' b'th…I'll dry th'm f'r l'ter."

Well…at least that way, I'd be less humiliated. I was never more grateful for the bubble bath. I think he put it in for this purpose. I took a few shaky breaths before once again, nodding. He scooped me up in his big arms and led me over to the tub, in which he carefully set me down into. He made sure that my bound leg and arm stayed out of the water; doctor's orders. I felt the wet heat spread around my body, and I let out a satisfied sigh. The water was so soothing after so many tense and painful hours. I could feel all my worries slipping away.

_Berwald's POV _

He sat on the cool toilet seat, watching me as I prepared his bath. I could feel his insistent gaze upon my back, and I couldn't help the little flutter that swept through my stomach. I tipped in some of the bubble liquid, watching as each bubble formed, catching the light and forming rainbow colours on their delicate surfaces. I hastily turned the taps off, not wanting the bath to overflow, and faced the boy. His eyes (the one that wasn't covered up at least) was trained on me, and he looked pretty content at the time being, as if just the thought of having a bath made him happy. I padded over to him, and knelt on the floor in front of him, staring into his one, beautiful, seeing eye.

"C'me 'n."

I coaxed, he needed this bath, it had to be said. His hair was nearly a shade or two darker with grease and grime, and his skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat, not that I could blame him. He nodded, but I watched as those enchanting orbs glazed over in a look of panic and embarrassment, as he took in what was about to happen. His nodding stopped and turned into a protest. I inwardly sighed. I missed hearing his voice; he'd been relying on gestures and actions for communication for an hour now. I could see that he was against the 'getting naked' idea, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't mildly relieved that he didn't just strip there and then. This was bad enough for me as it was. My mind quickly formulated a plan.

"If 't b'th'rs y'u th't m'ch, y'u c'n 'lw'ys t'ke 'ff y'ur cl'thes 'n th' b'th…I'll dry th'm f'r l'ter."

He looked uncertain for a moment or two, his mind trying to interpret what I'd just said through my thick accent. But to my relief, he agreed. Taking this as his permission, I picked him up, still unused to his light weight and settled him in the warm embrace of the bubbly water. I didn't miss the content sigh that escaped his lips, and smiled a little myself. He shifted around, trying to get comfortable in the water as well as getting used to the fact that two of his limbs were awkwardly dangling over the edge of the tub. His gaze met mine for a second, but what seemed like eternity before his shifted his eye, a splotch of pink spreading across his pale and bruised cheeks. He lowered his right arm into the water, and awkwardly pulled off his final garment, as I looked away, respecting his privacy.

I heard a timid cough come from the smaller nation, and turned to see him holding up the water-logged boxers for me to take, his face ablaze with colour. I took said clothing and wrung it out over the bath before moving from my temporary station beside the tub to air it out over the radiator on the far side of the room. When I came back, I pulled up a chair, and watched as he stared into the foamy orbs surrounding him. His good hand came up and poked at a particularly large bubble, which made a wet '_pop_' as it exploded. This noise was soon followed by a happy tinkling noise, and I realised with a blush that Tino was laughing. I wish he'd do that more often. I remember the days when he'd do nothing _but_ smile. His voice was so pretty when he used to sing for Iceland and Sealand on stormy nights, or when we all camped out and decided to sing songs. I knew I would never tire of hearing it. It was so melodic and beautiful.

He seemed to have distracted himself in the bubbly wonderland anyhow, and I was content to just watch him have a good time. It felt nice to relax, especially on this joyous day. I noticed him looking out of the window; at all of the snow gathering on the ledge. His face was so peaceful, and looked as enchanting as looking at a breath-taking painting. He turned to me suddenly, his violet orb(s) boring into me, as he spoke in a small but clear voice.

"Do you reckon my Reindeer got back okay last night?"

I looked at him in shock. In all the commotion, I'd forgotten how he'd even got here.

"…Th'y w'nt b'ck?"

He cracked a small smile, an action that was clearly hurting his cheeks.

"Of course! They know what to do if I don't come out; they're very clever animals."

I nodded. Indeed they were, I don't know many mammals that could fly, in fact, none other than said reindeer. I was about to reassure him that they'd be fine when the doorbell rang. We simultaneously looked up in surprise. Who would be visiting this house on Christmas Day anyway? It could've been the Postman, but did postmen usually ring doorbells? I wasn't sure. I went to the window and peered out. I growled under my breath as I saw Matthias' all too familiar car 'parked' in my driveway. If being halfway up a tree counted as 'parking'. What was that fool doing here? Was I not clear earlier when I told Norway that 'no one was to visit'?

"Sweden?"

I turned back to the boy in the bath. His eyes locked with mine, searching for an answer.

"Who is it?"

There was no point in lying about this. If I refused them entry, 'The idiot' would just crash my door down with his ridiculous axe.

"'t's th'oth'rs."

I watched as his eye(s) widen in surprise, and then a happy grin washed over his face. My heart panged. Why couldn't he smile like that with me alone? I heard the doorbell being abused numerous times before I closed my eyes, trying to dissolve the oncoming headache.

"Sh'uld I l't th'm 'n?" I asked. It only seemed right to ask his permission too, as he was currently the one who was naked in the bath tub. He looked thoughtful for a minute before replying.

"…I think it would be pointless not to, really. I m-mean, Matthias would just break down the door anyway…and it is Christmas…"

That was a good enough answer, I made my way to the door, telling him that I'd be right back before closing the bathroom door and racing to the front one.

I took three deep breaths before undoing the lock and swinging it open. I was met with the faces of three of my oldest friends. And they did not look happy.

"Duuuuuuuudeee, talk about taking your sweet time maaan! I'm freezing my snow balls off out here!"

I winced as Denmark yelled right in my ear. God he was annoying, how did the other two handle him? Speaking of which, Norway wasn't looking too pleased either.

"Denmark, shut up. But really Berwald, we would appreciate it if you would kindly invite us in." Iceland nodding, agreeing with his brother.

I sighed, but held open the door anyway. As expected, Matthias burst into the comfort of my warm house first, rudely pushing past his boyfriend and boyfriend's brother. I glared as he entered, but he simply flashed me one of his toothy grins, ruffling my hair as he walked past. I grumbled and quickly sorted out my mussed hair, not missing Lukas' slightly apologetic smirk. They all unrobed, dumping scarfs, hats, gloves and coats in a big pile by the door. Iceland appeared as emotionless as ever, making quick work of taking off his white, knee-high boots with heels, which without he looked even shorter. The trio made their way through into the kitchen, searching for food, I think. I followed lethargically.

Denmark was practically ripping the place apart, resembling a sniffer dog as he frantically tried to suss out what the nice smell was. Norway was peering into the hot-drinks cupboard, a thoughtful expression on his face. And Iceland seemed to have already found the ice cream stash in my freezer, as he had a pot of 'Baked Alaska' in his hands, already digging in. I raised an eyebrow, amused by the scene.

"Oi! BerBer, what were you making earlier? Smells delish!" The Dane exclaimed, his face a display of delight and curiosity. I couldn't help but smirk at the country's childishness.

"P'nc'kes." I replied snappily. He really got on my nerves.

"WHAT?! I want sooome! Gimmee some right now or I'll-"I smirked as he attempted to threaten me. He was soon cut off though by Lukas throwing a full tin of Nescafe at his head. He pouted dramatically, playfully glaring at his boyfriend as he spoke.

"Stop making so much fuss, you've already eaten breakfast this morning. Besides, if you eat anymore, you'll become like America; all chubby and irritating."

His eyes filled up with crocodile tears, pretending to be hurt as he yelled.

"Whaaa? No I won't! I'm far too amazing to be like him! I'm the King of Scandinavia, after all!"

Norway raised a perfect brow, clearly unimpressed by the dramatic outburst.

"Uh huh. And I'm a girl."

At this, his act dropped completely, a smirk forming on his face. He walked up to Lukas, trapping him between his body and the counter. He placed a large hand on the others face and leaned in, catching the boy's lips. I could see Iceland cringe out of the corner of my eye, and I patiently waited for the display of affection to stop.

Once the taller of the two had pulled away, he whispered "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if you were, Norgie~. The only evidence going against that statement is your-"

He didn't get to finish that sentence either, as Lukas once again resorted to violence; slapping him square across the face.

"Cut that out. I swear I'll castrate you if you finish that sentence". He warned, boring his deep blue/purple eyes into Denmark's.

It didn't seem to bother said country though, as he playfully pecked his boyfriend on the cheek before darting across the room, out of Norway's violent zone. He chuckled and leant against the kitchen sink. "Anyway, can we have pancakes?"

Norway sighed and shook his head across the room, pointedly looking at me as if to say 'don't give him any'. I frowned at him a little, but agreed nethertheless.

"N'. I'm b'sy. 'f y'u w'nt th'm, y'u'll h've t' m'ke th'm y'urs'lf." And with that, I left the room, leaving Norway in charge of the other two; I had more important issues at hand. I ran back upstairs, taking them two at a time, before entering the bathroom a few seconds later. I looked up and saw that Tino was staring at me in surprise and fright. I figured I must've shocked him with the unexpected entrance.

"S'rry."

He only nodded once before turning away and carried on sifting his hand through the bubbles absentmindedly. I went over to the tub and sat beside it. I quickly dipped a hand in the water; it was still warmish/hot, but it would cool soon, and I didn't want to waste any more time.

I indicated to the various bottles place on the side of the tub.

"M'y I?" I asked quietly. He looked up from his distraction and nodded again.

"Okay…"

I attempted to smile at him, my facial muscles creaking in protest as I did so. Did I just see a blush appear? No, it must've been the water. Perhaps it was too hot for him after all. I brushed the incident aside and grabbed the shampoo bottle first. I clicked the coloured cap off and poured a generous amount of translucent pink goo onto my hands. I lathered it up nicely, the scented gloop giving off a hint of strawberries. I couldn't quite remember where I got the product from, but it was effective on blonde hair, so I used it anyway, as girlish as it sounds. I didn't miss the faint look of surprise that plastered the Finn's face, and I couldn't suppress a quiet chuckle.

He heard it anyway, and looked up.

"What is it?" he asked. His entrancing eyes wide and endearing, searching for a clue in my own. I nudged my wire-framed glasses up with my elbow, and coughed (trying to stop laughing).

"It's n'th'ng. J'st y'u l'oked s' s'pr'sed." I couldn't help but blurt out the truth. He looked so cute like that; surrounded by bubbles, with a slight pink hue on his cheeks, listening so intently. It reminded me of the past. Back when I had to look after the scared little nation as we were living under Denmark's rule. Finally my chuckles died down, and I signalled for him to keep his head upright, like I used to back then. He understood even after all these centuries and did as told.

I reached over and began to massage the substance into his hair. I used my fingers to scrub underneath the top layer of hair (Tino's hair was always surprisingly thick, just like a girl's) and into the roots. The pink foam that dripped down the sides of his head began to turn a muddy, grey colour the more I scrubbed. At least it meant his hair would be clean. Once I decided I had done enough, I grabbed the jug that always sat by the edge of the bath, and dipped it underneath the warm tap at the sink. When it filled to the brim, I steadily bought it back over to the boy.

"D'p y'ur h'ad b'ck."

He did so, and I began to pour the water over his head, being careful not to spill any on his casts or his face. I raked my fingers gently through his hair as I rinsed, making sure all the soap was gone. Then I set the jug down and reached for the Conditioner. Through my peripheral vision, I saw Tino wipe his eyes with his working hand.

I repeated the action of pouring a decent amount of the substance onto my hand before applying it onto his head thoroughly. I then grabbed the shower comb that was kept on a hook by the other shower essentials (a flannel, body wash, etc.) and began to carefully run it through the soapy mass. However, I abruptly stopped my motions when I heard a strange noise through the door. Tino and I exchanged confused glances. It sounded like muffled shouting.

Before either of us could react, the door was slammed open with such force, one of the hinges broke. I tensed in anger, ready to murder whoever dared to break my handiwork. Of course, it was Matthias, who wore a proud grin on his face. He inspected the damage for a second, and then mused.

"Those were pretty weak hinges, huh…"

I growled, not bothering to hide my intense hatred for the neighbouring country. I saw Finland flinch a bit, and sink into the water. He clearly didn't like being disturbed either.

Denmark, however, was blissfully unaware of my feelings at that point in time, and made a beeline for Tino. I didn't miss the boy trying to cover himself up more.

"Finny-boy! Damn, you've looked better without those casts and all, but at least it isn't that serious! Hahaha! You know, you really shoulda' come over today, your injuries don't look fatal or nothin' so anyway why did you choose to let him take care'ya, I coulda done it for ya! Ohhh~ I remember, it's cuz you lo-" His ongoing babble was finally ended when a small but powerful fist connected with his face. Everyone in the room looked shocked, as they saw who the attacker was.

_Normal POV_

"…Ice?"

Denmark questioned, holding his throbbing jaw. He mentally added it to his checklist of injuries in that day.

No one had noticed the youngest Scandinavian enter the room, but indeed he had after cleaning up the kitchen (Denmark had attempted to make pancakes). His loyal puffin sat on his shoulder, and his chest rose and fell heavily after exerting so much energy. He'd rushed to clean up the kitchen after his brother had successfully passed out whilst inhaling the fumes from Matthias' cooking, then he'd made that Norway was safely placed on the sofa with Denmark and went to make a reviving cup of tea for Mister Puffin and himself. Only to find that Denmark had scampered off somewhere in the meantime. He'd suddenly had a brainwave why they were in Sweden's house in the first place (the original idea was to see Finland), and then he'd assumed that the said host and the Dane were probably fighting somewhere. So he'd left the tea on the coffee table and rushed off to 'stop the fight', and he'd walked in on Denmark about to reveal that Finland loved Sweden.

Thank God he got there on time. Finland looked in a bad state as it was, he didn't need any emotional pressure piled on top of his worries as well.

"Stop talking for five minutes Denmark. You are giving us all a headache." Emil spoke stoically. Sweden couldn't have agreed more, he could already feel the insides of his head pounding.

"I think brother might wake up soon, you should go back to him. After all, it's your fault he fainted." The Icelandic threw a dirty glare towards the Dane, clearly not in the mood for arguing today.

Matthias grinned again after a moment. "Kaaay! I'll visit ya later Finny! ~" And he then left the room, whistling an irritatingly catchy tune.

Both Sweden and Finland gave the snowy-haired boy an appreciative smile, although they were confused. He nodded to both, avoided eye contact and left, muttering a small "see you later".

_Finland POV_

I jumped, hearing a loud crash, and then suddenly Denmark was in front of me, talking (yelling) in my face. I flinched back; when had he entered? I attempted to cover most of my body up, my cheeks heating. Why was he in the room? I could see Sweden through the corner of my eye, and he did not look pleased.

In my panic I only heard the final part of the conversation.

"-Your injuries don't look fatal or nothin' so anyway…"

My injuries? Well, no they weren't fatal, but why is that important right now? I could feel my heart pounding in fear. He was so close and practically shouting at me. _What was going on?_

"-Ohhh~ I remember, it's cuz you lo-" My eyes widened as I heard the last phrase he was about to utter, and I squeezed my eyes shut. _Don'tsay itdon'tsayitdon'tsayit!_I willed in my head. Everything will be ruined! I waited with baited breath for him to utter the disastrous words, but to my surprise and relief, they never came.

I opened my working eye to see Iceland wedged between me and Denmark, his fist extended. I heard a sharp gasp, and I watched as Matthias clutched his face.

"…Ice?" He queried. I myself couldn't believe it. Did Emil just…punch him? In all my life I'd never known the Icelandic boy to be the violent type. He could be rude and bitchy, yes, but never using physical contact. In fact, I thought he despised such a thing.

But there he was, panting as if he'd just run a marathon. After a few silent seconds of shock and me desperately trying to cower in the bubbly water, he spoke.

"Stop talking for five minutes Denmark. You are giving us all a headache." His voice was soft, but fierce. He was clearly in a bad mood.

"I think brother might wake up soon, you should go back to him. After all, it's your fault he fainted." His accented voice rang out again. I felt confusion rush through me, and as I looked over to Sweden for answers, I could see the same emotion on his face, although he hid it better.

I watched as Denmark's features softened from shocked to guilty-looking. But then his face broke out into that happy-go-lucky grin of his, and he looked me in the eyes.

"Kaaay! I'll visit ya later Finny! ~" He drawled. He left without another word and I stared at 'my saviour'. He was looking between me and Sweden, clearly not comfortable in the room. I gave him an unsure but relieved smile. He nodded and mumbled something in acknowledgement before retreating from the room with his puffin close behind him.

I was paralysed. I couldn't move as my brain failed to figure out just what the hell had just happened. I hadn't noticed Sweden approach me until his warm hands were on my face, lifting it to see his own.

"Y'u 'kay?" He asked.

I could only nod, still not quite sure as to what had gone on a few minutes prior.

"Th' 'd'ot h's g'ne n'w. L't's g't y'u clean'd 'p, y's?" I let out a shaky breath and raised my body out of the water a bit so he could have better access to my hair. The water was starting to cool, and I just wanted to rest. I curled a protective arm around my middle, trying to hide my feminine curves. Luckily he didn't notice, as he continued combing my hair gently to untangle all the knots. I lost myself in my thoughts; thinking about the three Nordic's who were downstairs. My 'family' if you like. They'd always been there for me, even the stupid Dane. I remembered all the wars we'd been through together. How I'd let my true fighting spirit flow. In all honesty, I was frightened of myself back then. I wasn't thinking straight, but at least we'd all pulled through the many bloodsheds. I remembered fighting beside Berwald. How perfect he'd looked in his war uniform. He was so handsome, and he still was. I just dragged him down; he was always looking after me when we were children too.

A sharp tug at the back of my head pulled me out of my daydreams.

"Ouch!" I uttered. I slapped a hand around my mouth as soon as I made the noise. Sweden was trying so hard to be gentle, and here I was being ungrateful once again. I sniffled quietly, holding back the tears. _Why am I always such a burden? _I never used to cry so much, so why have I been doing nothing but crying since I arrived? I blamed it all on the stress hormones. Being near him made me crazy.

"S'rry. D'd I h'rt y'u?" He instantly stopped his movements, and I couldn't stop the small mewl that escaped my lips. Just having him brush my hair felt nice. Therapeutic even. I felt the blood rise to my battered cheeks as I realised the noise I'd just made. I could feel his eyes on my back too; probably an incredulous look on his face wondering if I'd really just _mewled_.

I was so embarrassed, but I still managed to whisper out a half-hearted "…no". He must've not cared either way, because soon he was back to gliding the plastic object through my slippery hair. I sighed inwardly in content, my eyes fluttering closed. This continued for a few more minutes before he patted my back lightly -another signal from when we were younger- telling me to turn around. I shifted uneasily in the water, still keeping both my casts above the surface.

When I finally faced him, I noticed he already had the jug filled. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, and he poured the warm liquid over my hair. I concentrated on his large hands that tussled through my now clean but wet hair. He scratched gently along the roots, not wanting any of the soap to stick. Once he was finished he gave a quiet cough. I opened my eyes and looked at him through the good one. There was a fluffy yellow towel draped over his right arm, and for some reason Lukas was in the room.

Said Norwegian signalled for Berwald to pick me up, so he did. I tried to voice my protests, but he wasn't having any of it, although I did notice that his eyes avoided mine; clearly finding more interest in the flooring. He rolled up his sleeves and placed his arms around my back and lifted me up as if I weighed nothing but a feather. I blushed heavily and desperately tried to cover my nether regions. My breath hitched as he supported me with an arm placed underneath my bottom, and carefully carried me over to the toilet seat. I squirmed a bit at first, but soon I clutched his shirt as he walked, not wanting him to drop me. I could feel his body heat, and I didn't notice myself snuggle unconsciously into the warmth. He did though, as he tried to pry my hands away when he lowered me onto the cold seat.

I curled my legs as best I could to my chest, not wanting him to see my horrible girly body. My bandaged leg panged in protest, but I didn't let up. I ducked my head into my knees, not wanting to see him in my embarrassing state.

"He's gone Tino, you can look up now." I recognised the voice of Norway and looked up uncertainly. He was indeed gone, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I still kept myself curled in a little ball though, trying to keep all my body heat in.

"L-lukas…hi…" He gave me a nod; one of the friendliest gestures you'd ever get out of him. I was still confused though; didn't Iceland say he'd fainted?

"What happened earlier?" I asked, my voice coming out clearer now that a certain someone was not around. He raised a blonde eyebrow.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? What happened to you? I always knew you were a klutz, but seriously? You must've done something pretty stupid to cause this much damage". He gestured towards my body.

I didn't know how to answer that, and after a few silent minutes, I heard the grouchy nation sigh.

"Never mind, let's just get you dried and into some warm clothes." I nodded uncertainly. I'd rather dry myself, but in my condition that wasn't really practical. '_At least it's only Lukas',_ I thought. He wrapped the towel around my head and began to softly rustle my hair; drying it. I looked out of the window as he did so. The snow as still falling, and I desperately wanted to go outside and play. But I couldn't.

He soon finished my hair and carefully patted my face, 'tsk'-ing softly as all the cuts and bruises were displayed. He patted my knees rather harshly, and I uncurled them, but kept my hand above my groin. He tutted at this.

"Really, Tino. I've seen you naked a lot of times before. Stop being so shy." I gulped, but removed my hand anyway, knowing this was the truth. We all looked after each other when we were in Denmark's house.

Soon he'd worked his way down my body (even my toes got a good drying), and he called Sweden in again. I was shocked to realise he was only in the bedroom the whole time, and I self-consciously curled up again as he entered. I really hated my body, and the less he saw of it the better. I saw him glance at me, but quickly look away. I averted my gaze too. He probably thought my body was disgusting, and I felt my eyes water.

I then was embraced in warmth, and I noticed in shock that Berwald had wrapped a towel around me.

"…Y'u l'ok'd c'ld…"

He muttered. Then without warning, he scooped me into his arms again. I squeaked in surprise and glared at Lukas over the Swede's shoulder. _'I bet he planned this out' _I thought darkly. He met my eye, still keeping the same vague expression he had mastered over the centuries. I let out a small sigh as Berwald swiftly carried me to the bedroom, and proceeded to sit me down on the bed.

I watched in confusion as he walked over to his chest of drawers the over side of the room, and rummaged around a bit. He made a small noise of triumph as he yanked a white blouse from the second drawer. He then shut it and passed the shirt to Norway who gave an appreciative nod to the tall country. Said country then left the room.

I eyed this show with caution, and the minute Berwald left, I decided it would be a good idea to breathe again. I hadn't realised that Norway was in front of me until he coughed. I shot him a quizzical look, and he chuckled softly.

"Sweden explained. You could wear really heavy Santa clothing, or soaking underwear._ Or_, you could wear this." He held up the shirt. It looked massive, but cosy and I didn't really have anything else. I nodded towards the shirt, giving the fellow Nordic an answer.

"Lift your arms a bit then." He commanded. I did as I was told, and shivered as he snatched the fluffy towel away. But I wasn't cold for long, as Lukas made quick work of dressing me, and soon I was sat on the soft mattress with Sweden's shirt hanging off me.

I raised my good arm, inspecting the blouse. The sleeves hung right off the end of my fingers, and luckily it finished at my knees, not exposing too much. I smiled softly. As weird as it sounded, it felt really nice to wear his shirt. It smelt like him- or the washing powder he used anyway- and it kept all the heat in.

"Here."

Lukas' stoic voice made my head snap up. He bent down and adjusted the sleeves by rolling them up. They now ended at my wrist, and I thanked him. He shrugged and sat on the bed beside me.

"So, do you want to tell me how this happened?" His hand gestured at me; or rather, my injuries. I sighed, and glanced to the door wearily. Lukas must've picked up my unease.

"Relax. He's gone downstairs to keep the over two company. He's probably cooking for them, seeing as their appetites never get any smaller." He grumbled the last part under his breath, but I still caught it. I laughed a bit. Norway may act cold towards people, especially Denmark, but he loves his family really. I remembered the time when Denmark decided to fake his death one Aprils Fools Day, and Norway couldn't stop crying. I winced at the memory. Norway was furious at Matthias when he sprung up from the gurney (yes, he even booked a bed in hospital to make it more realistic. I think it's illegal though…) and announced it was only a joke. He refused to talk to the Dane for a year.

"…-ino? Tino? TINO!" I jumped. I must've zoned out whilst he was talking/ mumbling.

"A-ah. Yes?" I replied hastily. Lukas frowned, but let it go.

"Nevermind. So? What's the story behind your appearance?" He queried.

"I fell." I thought that seemed like a good answer. Apparently not.

"Care to elaborate?" Well…

"It was really icy on his roof, so I…um…I fell down his chimney I suppose. That's how I got all these cuts and things…" That should do. I wasn't really in the mood for talking about that. It was Christmas day after all, so we should be talking about presents and food and stuff, right? I also couldn't remember very much from the experience. Most of it was all black nothingness and pain, etc. I heard Lukas tut and raised an eyebrow. That wasn't a good move on my part, so I put it back down.

"Really, Tino. I knew you were careless at times, but to fall? You must've been really lost in your thoughts.." At this, I blushed. I knew what he was referring to when he said 'lost in your thoughts'.

"I-it wasn't like th-that! It was j-just really, _really_ s-slippy, a-and I couldn't s-see a-and-" I was cut off.

"I know. I'm sorry I ever mentioned it. I was just teasing you." I pouted at him and let out a little 'hmph'. I was about to say something back when I heard the door open. We both looked to see who the visitor was.

"Ah, Sweden. How can we help?" My face lit up instantly, and I looked away in hope he wouldn't see.

"I w's j'st g'ing t' th' sh'ps f'r f'od. It's Chr'stm's d'y, 'nd M'tthi's 's qu'te k'en t' h've a b'g d'nner. Is th're anyth'ng y'u tw' w'nt wh'lst I'm th're?" He asked, his deep, accented voice ringing in my ears. I really liked his voice. It was so masculine but caring, and it made my heart soar. I was pretty certain I looked like one of Spain's tomatoes, so I kept my face hidden under my hair as best I could.

"That's very thoughtful of you, but there isn't really anything I especially want. What about you Tino?" Lukas asked me. My eyes widened. Anything I really want? There wasn't anything I particularly wanted, but-

"Karelian Pastry" I blurted out. I couldn't stop myself, and I saw Sweden take out a pen and scribble the confectionary onto his (most likely) already massive list through the corner of my eye before leaving the room, the door going 'click' behind him.

Norway and I exchange glances for a second before he got off the bed and headed towards the bathroom.

"Wait. Wh-where are you going?" I called out. I didn't feel like being alone right now.

"I'm just going to get your supplies. You need to bandage up your cuts if you're ever going to heal." Was his answer. I smiled at him gratefully.

"Thanks Lukas." From the other room, I could still make out a tiny "That's what families are for." I giggled quietly. I was very lucky to have such nice friends. I curled my legs up onto the bed, as they were getting cold.

He came out a few minutes later with disinfectant, a roll of gauze and medical tape. I flinched at the look of the nasty bottle of surgical spirit. How I hated that stuff; it always stung, and it smelt funny too. Lukas noticed my discomfort and tutted. He really liked to do that. It must be a habit from looking after Denmark for so long.

"Don't be such a baby. It will help you in the long run." I looked down at the wooden floorboards and nodded dejectedly. He was right, but I wished he wasn't.

"Look up. I can't clean your face if it's hiding under your mass of hair." When I did so, he frowned at me.

"What?" I asked. Was there something on my face or something? He looked curious actually, and I felt a cool finger brush underneath my right eye. _Oh._

"What happened to your eye? It looks strange." I tensed at the contact; my cheeks were still sore.

"I just banged it or something. Sweden said it'll be fine." My voice sounded uncertain though, and I cursed it for wobbling.

"Can you even see through it?" What was this, an interrogation? I huffed and pulled away from Lukas' fingers.

"No, but it's not permanent." He didn't say anything else and instead turned towards the supplies. I waited patiently as he cleaned and bandages the numerous cuts adorning my body.

Once he'd finished, and had put the things away, I decided it would be a good time to ask him.

"What happened with you earlier then? I heard you'd fainted." His expression stayed the same, but I could see the annoyance in his eyes. He coughed into his hand before speaking.

"That stupid Dane wanted to make pancakes. I tried to stop him, but he carried on anyway. To cut a long story short: The idiot can't cook, he used the wrong ingredients, burnt them and I fainted trying not to breathe in the smoke. There. Happy?" he looked so pissed off that I couldn't help but laugh. He shot me a dirty look at he went to put the supplies away.

"I don't see how it's so funny." He called from the bathroom. I tried to cover my giggles by using my hand, but it didn't work. Denmark was such an idiot. Sometimes his cooking skills rivalled England's in the 'Crap cooking' category.

He walked straight past me when he re-entered, and opened the door. I stopped laughing.

"Now where are you going?"

"To make some coffee." He replied.

**DunDunDUUUUUN. **

**There you go awesome reader! An especially long chapter to make up for the ridiculously long wait! I'm really sorry about that!:'(**

**Next chapter! Christmas Dinner, Norway on coffee and some more SuFin & DenNor! Possibly IceHong too!;D I'm exciting myself…which is strange…;P**

**Stay tuned amigos!~ ;)**

**-TheSpanishBanana**


	5. Of Coffee and Phone Call's

**Another chapter awesome people!:'3 Once again I'm REALLY REALLY SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I'M A USELESS AUTHOR! :'0 (Pulling a Ritsu Sohma) :3**

**Disclaimer: No, I am not making money from this fiction, because if I was, you would know about it…(I need a job;D)**

**I'd also like to apologise in advance for the coffee-making scene. I have never actually made a cup of coffee in my life, only tea, so I may have got a few things wrong. Aha;) **

**Le warning: Mild/Not so mild swearing…? I think? Not sure as of yet, but I have quite the potty mouth, so we'll see;) Also OOC Norway for on peu (a bit) as he's on coffee ;3**

**All rights reserved to their god-like creator Hidekaz Himaruya ~~~~(* w * )~**

_Iceland's POV_

Damn. I sighed softly. This day sure was busy, with everybody over reacting about something or other. I passed Denmark unnoticed, as he sat on the sofa watching things online (probably porn, knowing him) on Sweden's laptop. Tino and Lukas were upstairs, getting cleaned up and Berwald was out at the supermarket for lots and lots of Möndlugrautur. I smiled a bit at the thought. How I loved Christmas Dinner; with the roast potatoes, pickled red cabbage, oven roasted turkey, hamborgarhryggur and various assortments of puddings.

At the thought of all the food, my stomach growled. I frowned at my flat tummy; why was I always hungry? I shrugged it off and walked into the kitchen, not missing the curious glance Matthias threw me over the edge of the laptop screen.

"Heeey. What you doin' in here again Icyyy? Haven't you eaten 'nough today?" Mr Puffin cawed. I looked at him in a disapproving matter- did he have to yell in my ear?

"I'm hungry." Was my reply. I scanned the neat room. There was a neat wooden island in the middle of the room sitting on white, marble tiles. There was a sink in front of the big window that spread across one third of the wall before me. Cupboards were safely packed underneath the counter that stretched around the edge of the room. There was a fridge to my immediate left, and I turned, yanking open the door to inspect the contents.

There wasn't much choice, it has to be said. Granted, I'd eaten a majority of Sweden's food this morning, but that didn't do much to reason with my on-going metabolism system. I sighed, and reluctantly closed the fridge door as I saw a figure in the doorway. It was Lukas, and strangely enough, he was looking quite flushed in contrast to his usually pale complexion. God knows how he managed to get in here without Matthias on his tail. Though judging by the new skin tone he was sporting, he probably didn't.

"Hello brother" I greeted him. He looked at me in acknowledgement, and then swiftly walked past me, heading towards one of the many cabinets in the stylish room. When I saw him withdraw a tub of instant coffee from one of them, I frowned, but didn't say anything. He looked as though he needed it. He then reached for a mug that was placed on an inappropriately high shelf. '_But let's not forget, this is Berwald's kitchen'_ I thought. He wasn't known for being short, quite the opposite actually. I watched in interest as brother tried to grab a cup, but failed. His outstretched arm was patting the edge of the shelf irately, his form shaking with the strain. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you just call Denmark in? He's tall enough". I stated. That got a reaction of sorts. Lukas turned around with a huff.

"Don't be stupid. You know why I can't." And with that, he grabbed a nearby chair, and dragged it underneath the shelf. He climbed on it, and once standing, albeit unsteadily, he grabbed the nearest mug, and stepped down. He then put the kettle on the hob and turned to sit on the island whilst he waited.

There was no point in trying to stop him, I reasoned. I'd just let Denmark deal with the consequences, after all, he deserved all the bother of putting up with a coffee-induced Norway. My thoughts were disturbed by my phone vibrating in my jacket pocket. I pulled it out, and opened the phone, the little flashing icon indicating I had a text. I opened up the message. It was from Hong Kong.

Lukas looked over at me when it went off, and I had to turn around to hide my blush as I saw the name of the sender. I haven't yet informed him that Hong and I are going out, and I wasn't planning to anytime soon. For some reason, my brother doesn't quite see eye to eye with him. I quickly scanned over the text, with Mr Puffin reading it over my shoulder.

**From: Hong Kong**

**Merry Christmas xxx how's your day going? Can't be worse than with my relatives. Yong Soo feeling up aniki again- totally disgusting. At least we have fireworks tonight. **

**You have to visit **

He wasn't much of a talker, but he was always kind. I could feel heat rising to my cheeks, and I had to will it away. I could hear Mr Puffin chuckling quietly at my reaction, and I glared at him. When I turned around again, I noticed Lukas looking at me quizzically. I figured that my blush was still pretty evident on my face, but before he could enquire the kettle began to whistle. He quickly tended to his cuppa, pouring the boiling water onto the powder, and stirring it in. This gave me a few seconds to calm down my roaring cheeks, but also a few seconds for Matthias to interrupt. He walked into the kitchen with a confused face.

"Norge? What are you doing? I heard the kettle go off, and I know you don't like tea-"He stopped short when he saw the tub of open coffee on the counter. Through the corner of my eye, I saw my brother freeze his ministrations. I snapped the screen of my phone shut, and put it back in my pocket, not wanting it to get damaged in the fuss that was undoubtedly about to occur.

_Normal POV_

Norway froze when he heard Denmark's voice ring out through the air. He turned around to face his boyfriend, his gaze hard. He wasn't going to back down this time. The tall nation sighed.

"Don't even think about it Norgie. I won't let you." He walked over to Lukas, and placed a hand either side of his body, trapping him against the surface. Norway scowled.

"Shut up. I didn't ask for your consent. I can do what I like." At this, Denmark chuckled. He swooped down and caught the younger nation's lips in a kiss. Lukas' eyes widened, and he started struggling. He pulled away, finally, panting.

"You… can't stop me." Cold deep blue eyes met twinkling sky ones. A light hearted chuckle erupted from the taller nation.

"Actually, I probably could." At this, Lukas raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up." Denmark winked at his boyfriend.

"You seem to be saying that a lot today~. Maybe I could shut up my mouth, if you would care to join me upstairs~" He implied suggestively. Lukas' face blossomed a deep shade of red at the innuendo. He knew what he was doing; Matthias was trying to make him forget about the steaming brew that sat behind him on the work top. However, he wasn't going to be fooled by that idiot.

"Leave me alone!" He half yelled. This however did not get the reaction he hoped as the Dane simply smirked and stood his ground.

Lukas groaned, attempting to move around him, but a strong arm blocked his way.

Giving the Dane a quick smack he grabbed the mug and drowned its contents in one go. Matthias' eyes widened.

"Wait, Norgie, no-!"Matthias soon ripped the empty mug out of his grip and placed it down on the counter, forgetting about the minor but nethertheless sore injury on his jaw. He let out a long weary sigh.

"You idiot Norge…" Lukas looked a bit startled but didn't react to Matthias' outburst, which was strange. But a Norway on coffee was not a normal Norway. Instead he stood completely still for a few minutes, just staring at the wall. Then he snapped out of his stupor, and gave the Dane a smile. Reaching out, he let out a small, content noise and started clutching onto the Dane's shirt.

Said Dane smiled sweetly at his boyfriend. It wasn't often that Lukas was nice like this so he wasn't about to let the moment pass. He wrapped his broad arms around Norway's small frame and hugged him close, nestling his nose into the Norwegians soft hair.

The smaller male moaned happily and wrapped his own arms around Matthias' neck, lifting himself up on his tip toes to peck a kiss onto his boyfriend's waiting lips. Matthias didn't want it to end there though. He pulled the other into another rough kiss, enjoying the wanton noises his lover produced.

Iceland grimaced at the public display of affection and decided that he would grab the nearest food item before getting out the room.

The two lovers didn't notice the boy exit, and carried on kissing until Denmark pulled back, his cheeks flushed and his breaths coming out in short, sharp pants. He looked down at the Norwegian, and saw that he wasn't in a much better state. His cheeks were a dark pink hue, contrasting beautifully with his creamy complexion. His eyes were glazed over with lust, and whines were escaped parted lips. Matthias took a couple of moments drinking in the sight.

Lukas began to wriggle in his arms, wanton moans and whimpers still spilling out of his mouth. Denmark smirked.

"Now, now, Norgie. Let's not get too worked up, eh?" He watched in glee as the Norwegian tried to get some friction between them. He held him back at arm's length, his eyes trained on the clock that sat above the radio on the shelf. Three minutes had passes since Norway had consumed the lively liquid. Only a couple of seconds…

"D-Denmark…please…" Said nation ripped his eyes away from the neon digits to look at the source of the needy voice. He smiled at his lover, and gave him a brisk peck on the nose before resuming the earlier position; hugging him close.

3…2…1…

Denmark looked down as his little Norwegian stopped moaning and thrashing in his arms. Instead, he was met with the sight of Lukas' clear eyes welled up with tears. His cheeks were still flushed, but not in arousal, now it was with the strain of keeping from crying.

"D-don't you *hiccup* l-love me anymore…?" The Dane had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. This always happened. When Norway had a dose of coffee, there was a short period of snuggly-Norway, a period of water works, and a period of anger with the occasional period of happy Norway (but that really was unusual). He dreaded the next one. He knew how to deal with this; after all, he had lived with Norge for a couple of centuries. However, there wasn't anything you could do whilst he was like this; you just had to wait out the periods. Unfortunately the best period lasted for the least amount of time, that being the cuddly Norway. It only usually lasted for an hour or so.

"I knew i-it…you h-hate me…" Matthias had to force back a chuckle. He loved his boyfriend really, but it was rather amusing to see him being so openly emotional.

He gently cupped Lukas' cheeks and stared deep into two indigo pools. "I could never hate you Norge…"And with that, they shared the most passionate kiss of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ̢ô̡ ̮ ̢ô̡ ) ( o̿ ̭ o̿ ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upstairs, Tino was left on the bed to stare at the wall absentmindedly. It had been 10 minutes since Sweden had left for the shops, and he was already beginning to miss his presence in the house. He could clearly hear the ruckus taking place in the kitchen, and he sighed. It was obvious Norway had helped himself to Sweden's coffee, and he was smart enough to know that it would be safer to stay where he was for the time being.

But that didn't make it any less boring. Letting out a huff of irritation, he gently laid himself back onto the bed, smiling softly at the comfort the downy mattress and pillows emitted. He decided that if he had to go back home again he would take this bed with him. It was large, and clearly hand-crafted by Berwald himself. Finland tilted his chin up to admire the headboard looming over him. The wood was sturdy and dark; Mahogany, he guessed. He gently traced the edges with his fingers, feeling the smooth dips and ridges. It truly was a work of carpentry. He smiled, and dropped his arm.

"Hey."

His head shot up immediately, startled by the voice. Iceland was standing in the doorway, face as cold and emotionless as ever. The Finn inwardly smiled a bit; '_just like his brother'_, he mused.

"Hey Ice" He replied, giving the Icelandic boy a soft smile. He attempted to sit up, and gasped quietly when he accidently jerked his leg.

Said boy raised a hand.

"No need to sit up. Just lay down". He walked into the room, examining the many wooden artefacts that littered the enclosed space before coming to a halt in front of the bed.

Tino chuckled a bit, but sat up nethertheless and watched as the boy's purple eyes inspected the room.

"He's very talented, isn't he." Finland nodded in agreement to the statement. Sweden was indeed very talented. Every piece of furniture was neat and made well. The various types of wood contrasted well together, and all in all, he had clearly been practising the craft for many centuries. Tino looked up when he felt pressure on the bed. Emil had sat down on top of the fluffy covers.

"So" He gestured towards Finland briefly with his hand "how did this happen?" Inwardly, he groaned. Did he really have to go through the details again? It was painful enough the first time he went through it. Didn't Norway or even Sweden explain? And even if they hadn't, wasn't it pretty obvious what'd happened?

These feelings must've somewhat shown on the Finn's face, because Emil instantly apologised.

"Ah…It's okay if you don't want to tell me, I understand-"He was cut off by a light cough from Finland.

"No, it's fine. Just don't remember an awful lot, you know?" He gave a sheepish grin to the boy in front of him, who in turn gave him a rare, small, but existing smile of understanding. Lying back onto the pillows, Tino tried to recall the incident as best he could.

"I was a bit distracted, you could say. So when I landed, I wasn't watching where I was going. I happened to step on an icy patch, just as I was about to climb down, and yeaaaah…" He gestured to his injuries with a bitter smile. "After I fell, I suppose I blacked out. The first thing I remember was hearing a man's voice- I assumed the doctor? And then Sweden was there…" The Finn looked away as he remembered how kind the well-built Swede was when he'd first awoken. He knew he was blushing._ 'Damn these feelings'_ He sighed, and closed his eyes, still daydreaming.

"-ino?...Finland!" He jumped, not expecting the Icelandic boy to speak so loudly.

"Y-yes?" He asked hurriedly, snapping his head up. He winced at the small whiplash.

"…I think Sweden likes you…"His voice was quiet, but clear, and Tino's eyes widened at the statement. He stared at Emil for what seemed like hours, before choking out.

"Wh-what…?"He watched as the Finn's already flushed face bloomed a bright scarlet. Iceland's face never changed; still set in stone. What did he mean by that? So did Iceland know that he liked the Swede…? That can't be…he hadn't told anyone…

"You heard me" He replied curtly. He inspected his nails as he waited for Tino's spluttering and blushing phase to die down. He wasn't very good at handling emotion, as he spent most of his time with his (seemingly) empty void of a brother.

When all he could hear was laboured breathing, he looked up. Finland was looking, to say the least, utterly frazzled. His slightly damp hair was sticking to his patched up forehead and face, which in turn resembled a tomato. His violet eyes were wide, with traces of disbelief and…was that fear? His hands were clutching desperately at the sheets, holding them so tight that his knuckles were white, and his entire frame was shaking; it looked as if he was having a seizure.

Iceland shook his head. What was going on? Before things could get out of hand, he roughly grabbed the Finn's shoulders and shook him, not caring in the slightest that he was bruised enough as it as. He heard a sharp crack and then a gasp from the entranced boy, and stopped his ministrations. He looked into confused lilac pools, and muttered a quick apology.

"Sorry…but are you alright?" His hands dropped from their previous positions on Tino's thin shoulders onto his lap as he knelt beside the panting, but calming Finn.

Once said Finn had got his breath back, he nodded slowly. He looked up, catching Iceland's worried stare and smiled. It was small, but genuine, and Emil visibly relaxed once he caught sight of it. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, letting Tino fully recover before he spoke.

"H-how can you tell?" His voice was wobbly and weak; as if he was on the verge of tears. As it was, his eyes did look a bit watery. Iceland considered trying to soothe him, but decided against it. He just wasn't good at that sort of thing. Instead, he resorted to smirking gently.

"When you're quieter, you can observe easier." When Finland stared at him with a puzzled look, he sighed playfully.

"I mean…he looks at you…" After a few seconds, he heard soft laughter coming from the injured Finn. He instantly frowned and crossed his arms defensively; a habit picked up from Lukas. Did he think he was making this up? Finland noticed this, and patted the boys arm in apology.

"Sorry, sorry. But…I still don't get it. Of course he looks at me, he looks at you too!" The Icelandic flinched at the sudden contact, and pulled away slightly. Getting the message, the Finn withdrew his arm and awaited his response.

"Well…that's true, but I…are you really that dense?" Tino's eyes widened at the word. '_'Dense'? I_ _wouldn't say that, but…well, he has been looking at me…but that's because I'm hurt, and he has been looking after me, right? I mean, he's not going to look after me blindfolded now, is he?...'_

Emil, who was perfectly unaware of the thoughts waging war inside Finland's head, carried on.

"Seriously…wait, I know an example." This caught the Finn's attention. "You know when I punched Matthias whilst you were in the bath earlier?" Tino nodded slowly, not sure as to where this conversation was leading. "Well, I may have been somewhat caught up at the time, but I did notice that he kept glancing at you when you weren't watching. He also had a worried look on his face when Denmark was yelling at you…" He trailed off as he noticed Tino's good hand in the air, signalling for him to stop. He frowned as he saw the Finn's shoulders shaking.

"…Finland?" Said boy hid his eyes underneath his bangs as he tried to keep the tears back. _'This doesn't make any sense. None of this can be true! Icy must be making this up, but then again, why would he do that? It's absurd. All of it! Sweden doesn't like me, he's lying to me. Yes, that's it. He feels sorry for you because you're hurt so he's trying to make you feel better by saying such things. Yes, he's lying, I'm certain. He's lying! Sweden doesn't love me! Sweden doesn't love me! Sweden DOESN'T love me!'_

Tino was so wrapped up in his own little world that he failed to notice the tears freely streaming down his cheeks. Iceland, however, did notice, and tried to break the Finnish boy out of his currently comatose state.

"Tino? Wait…Finland! Shit- Finland!" No matter how hard he yelled, Tino's eyes still stayed blank as he tormented himself in his head. His hands were back on the Finn's shoulders, yanking the frail body backwards and forwards in a vain attempt to wake him up from whatever fantasy land he'd travelled to.

"What's going on?" Iceland froze at the sound of Denmark's voice ringing sharp and loud from the doorway. Emil turned to face the spikey-haired nation, but stopped short to take in his new appearance.

Matthias' face was now a rainbow of different coloured bruises, and to cut a long story short- he looked like crap. The sleeves of his red shirt were pulled right up, obviously to stop them from getting in the way of whatever strenuous activity he'd just took part in. His hair had gone a bit limp, after all the energy he'd exerted, and he was panting heavily, leaning against the doorframe for support. His eyes however, were still as bright and cheerful as ever, as though he'd just been taking a casual stroll through the park, and nothing more.

His face took on a more serious façade though, as he saw the scene in the room unfurl. Emil saw this, and tried to explain.

"I'm not sure, he just started crying. He won't answer me at all…" He was going to say more, but trailed off as his brother went crashing into Denmark at full speed. Said Dane toppled over, and ended up in the position of him being on the floor, with a raging Lukas straddling his hips. Despite the pure look of anger on his boyfriend's face which he probably should be afraid of, he smirked.

"Looks like you caught up with me, huh?" He teased. The Norwegian growled under his breath, donning a dangerous looking frying pan. It had to be said; Norway resembled a pissed off Hungary. A VERY pissed off Hungary. It wasn't long before the aforementioned frying pan made contact with Matthias' head. Hard.

Denmark groaned and clutched his head, swearing profanities as the pain spread. Iceland watched the encounter humorously, enjoying it immensely. He noted that his brother had clearly reached what he and Denmark dubbed, 'The pissed-off Viking' stage. He watched the two argue and struggle a bit longer before he let out a cough.

Both looked up simultaneously. Emil nodded his head in the direction on the sobbing Finn. Norway took one look at the piteous boy before beginning to carry on their war. Denmark followed suit.

"I hate you! You just sit around all day and never show me any affection! How am I supposed to live like that?!" Iceland flinched as his brother's voice rose to an unheard level of decibels.

"What are you talking about? You know I love you- for Odin's sake, let me up!" Denmark yelled back. He knew that Norway didn't really have any control on what he was doing, but he still needed to retaliate a bit. Just to even it out.

Iceland rolled his eyes.

"I won't! I can tell you're lying! You always lie to me! Like that time when you went out to the bar with a few mates, I bet you secretly have another lover that you were meeting up with, hmm?" Lukas was getting really worked up now. Tears were dripping off his delicate face, his cheeks ablaze with a furious flush. His eyes were crazed pools of anger and distrust.

"Norge, seriously, listen to yourself here man! You're being unreasonable, just let me explain! I really was just with friends-" Denmark tried to reason, but he was swiftly silenced by another whack of the Norwegians weapon.

"No! No more excuses! I hate you Matthias! I really thought you loved me!" He lifted his arm to wipe away the tears that wouldn't stop. As he did so, Matthias took the moment to get both of his arms free from beneath the Norwegian.

He wiped at his bloodied nose, grimacing. But that was soon replaced by a loving, dopy grin that spread across his features.

"Man Norge, you really know how to clobber a guy with that, huh?" Lukas' eyes widened as he realised that his interrogation subject had almost escaped, and he quickly pounced on the Dane's arms, keeping them restrained by his sides. The frying pan was flung across the room, out of harm's way.

"Shut up!" Denmark had to give it to him; the boy was much stronger than he looked. He struggled to get his arms free, but when he did, he used the element of surprise to switch their positions. He now loomed over a writhing Norway, pinning his wrists above his head. Now certain he was secure, he looked over to where Iceland was on the bed.

"Care to explain now? Sorry about that, forgot to lock the kitchen door as I ran out" he grinned, perfect white teeth flashing.

Emil simply raised an eyebrow, though he couldn't deny that he was amused by their petty argument.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted-"He glared at his struggling brother "Finland has gone insane." He sounded bored.

At this, Matthias' face twisted into a mask of confusion and worry.

"Insane? What do you mean?" As the oldest there at the moment, he decided he would take charge of looking after Tino for the duration of Sweden's absence.

Emil shrugged. "I'm not sure. I was just talking to him, then he started crying and daydreaming and now he won't answer…"

Denmark sighed. "And what exactly did you say to him, Emil?" He knew the Icelandic boy had a way with words, and most of the time when he tried to communicate, the outcome wasn't all too good.

The Icelandic boy flinched. He didn't like it when Denmark called him that. It made him think back to the days of when they were all under the Dane's rule. When he had authority over them. He knew that Matthias knew about this, and therefore only used his human name when he was annoyed. He shot a warning glare at the Dane but answered nethertheless.

"I just said how I think Sweden likes him…It wasn't anything rude…" He wrung his hands. He didn't like being in trouble, whether with his brother, or any other nation. But he kept his face eerily stoic regardless.

Denmark sighed. "You know not to bring up that subject with him! He's overly sensitive about those kinds of things… He won't believe you and then goes into a state of denial! I thought you knew better Ice..." Another glare from the Nordic nation.

Denmark met Emil's stony glare for a few seconds, still trying to trap his now whimpering boyfriend. Neither let up, before the Dane sighed.

"Whatever, I'll see what I can do, but you're going to have to take over this." Denmark said, grinning down at the tear-streaked face of his angry boyfriend. Lukas had finally stopped his struggling, but he still grumbled out profanities every now and then to get his point across.

Matthias leaned down, and gave the Norwegian a playful peck on the nose, for which he received an angry whimper. Still wearing that shit-eating grin of his, he locked his gaze with Iceland.

"You know how to take care of him, right?" Iceland looked puzzled for a second, before a faint blush spread across his prominent cheekbones. He adverted his gaze but still nodded stiffly.

"Good. Come over here then."

Emil did as he was told, and gave a quick, awkward pat on the shoulder to the still emotional Finnish boy. He walked over to Denmark gracefully, before kneeling down beside his brother's head. Lukas glanced between the two uncertainly. Not sure what was going on. He began to struggle beneath the Dane again, causing Iceland to flinch. Denmark cooed comforting words into his boyfriend's ear, attempting to calm him. It worked rather well.

"You ready?" He glanced at the Icelandic, who gave a determined nod.

"3, 2, 1…"

In a flash, Matthias released Lukas' wrists, and jumped off. Norway's eyes widened and he began to scramble up in an attempt to chase his disobedient lover. But before he got the chance, Iceland sat on his brother, making him emit a gasp of surprise.

Iceland was shorter and weaker than his brother, but he knew how to put up a good fight. Much like what Matthias did a few moments ago, he wasted no time in gathering Lukas' small wrists into one pale hand. He desperately tried to soothe the angrily animated Norwegian.

As he felt his grip becoming weaker, he noticed Denmark moving through his peripheral vision. He looked up. Said Dane was sitting beside Tino, petting his hair and whispering what Iceland assumed to be comforting words. As it was, the Finn did seem to be calming down, although his shoulders heaved every few seconds with dying sobs.

Hearing a particularly vicious growl come from the still wriggling Norwegian, he snapped his gaze downwards to meet with burning, deep blue eyes.

"Oi, Icey, get a move on. He'll escape if you keep that up." Matthias' voice sounded a bit frantic. Emil couldn't blame him though. His brother did have a somewhat violent streak in his blood. That and his favourite victim was Denmark.

He grit his teeth, and whispering a quiet apology to Norway, he quickly reached with his free hand and grabbed his brother's mysterious, floating curl. The reaction was instant.

Lukas' eyes widened, and he bit back a moan. His violent thrashings became weaker and weaker the more Iceland tugged on it. Tears gathered in the corner of his eyes again.

"P-please…Stop! Ngh…It hurts! I'll be g-good…!"He cried pathetically. Emil silently carried on, stroking the protruding piece of hair. When Norway was in the state he was, the curl was not a pleasure centre like it usually was. Instead, it was quite the opposite. As much as Denmark hated to hurt his precious Norwegian, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Lukas started to writhe again. Emil's purple eyes widened in shock, but he soon collected himself. He gave another pull to the overly sensitive hair, cringing as he heard his brother yell in pain.

"Ah!...S-stop! I'm sorry! I'm s-sorry! Just…please!" He continued to beg. Iceland didn't let up though. Glancing at the Dane to get his consent, he gave a harsh yank on the appendage. Norway screamed, face flushed and tears dripping off his chin. One last tug and he passed out.

He and Matthias both sighed in relief when they saw him go limp. Iceland picked himself up, whispering another apology to his sleeping brother, and went over to where the Dane and Finn were. It looked like the Dane had managed to quieten down Tino in the past couple of minutes. He was now curled up on himself, sniffling quietly, but at least they were signs he was still alive.

Matthias looked pretty lost, it had to be said. He gave a small grin to the Finn (who wasn't looking anyway) and a half-hearted shrug to Iceland.

"How is he?" Emil inquired.

Denmark just shook his head. "I dunno man…he seems pretty shook up. What the hell did you do?"

The Icelandic boy frowned. "I've already told you, I only said that I think Sweden may like him, because I caught him looking at Tino funny and stuff…"

The spikey haired nation waved a hand in front of the Finn's face. Tino peeked out from behind his long fringe and stared at the lopsided grin the Dane wore, eyes still watery.

"You alright little man?" At this, Tino frowned. He sniffed before slapping his hand away weakly. Matthias snorted.

"Nice try. But ya gunna have to do better than that though if you want me to go away…~" At this, the Finn cracked a watery smile.

"Ehe. Now that's more like it, see?" The Dane chuckled. He reached out a large hand and patted his friend's face gently, wary to not hit any of his wounds. Tino sniffed again but sat up, an ashamed flush tinting his soft features. He pulled down the edge of the blouse, as it had managed to hitch up to his thighs. He did not make any eye contact with the other two as they talked quietly among themselves.

Instead he gazed over at the uncounious Norwegian sprawled out on the floor only a few feet from the bed. He frowned. From his place on the bed, he could clearly see the drying tear tracks on his pink cheeks. His eyelashes were dark and clumped together with tears, and his hair was falling out of his cross-shaped Barrett and sticking in mattered piles on his sweaty forehead.

There were a few other things he found interesting. The skin on his wrists had been reduced to an angry red colour. Undoubtedly where someone had grabbed him harshly. His curl was odd. It was limp and at a strange angle. His clothes (a simple combination of a stripy shirt and black trousers) were dishevelled and in need of a good ironing. Frankly, he looked worn out.

"What happened…?" He whispered, mainly to himself. It appeared that the other two heard him, as they stopped conversing.

"Hmm? Oh…Norgie drank too much coffee again." Denmark chuckled quietly. He sat beside the Finn, eyes raking over the unmoving form of his boyfriend. Tino couldn't stop a small smile from escaping. That was so Norway. Iceland went and knelt beside his brother.

"Should we move him?" He asked. Matthias pondered on that for a bit. He grinned.

"Probably. He won't thank us waking up in that state, even if it was his fault." He stood up, and joined Emil on the other side of his lover. His usually irritatingly cheerful eyes became gentle as he reached out an arm and stroked Lukas' messy hair.

"Is there a hairbrush in here?" He directed the question towards Finland, who shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Try looking in the bathroom…" He suggested, voice still quiet but clearer than before.

Denmark huffed a sigh before standing and marching into the Swede's bathroom at an admirable pace. Finland could hear cabinet doors being flung open, and the contents being yanked out in the search.

The Dane came back three minutes later with a large grin plastered on his face, and a hairbrush clutched in his hand.

"Found one!~" He laughed. He walked back over to his unconscious boyfriend and carefully lifted him onto his lap as he sat down. He sifted the hairbrush through the boy's long(ish) hair, and clipped back his overly long fringe with his favourite cross pin. He left the abused curl alone.

He then kissed his boyfriends forehead lovingly, and started straightening out his rumpled clothing. Iceland ignored this, turning his back and whipping out his phone. Finland could hear his nimble fingers tapping out a text, but to whom, he didn't know.

Tino watched curiously as Matthias picked up Lukas and carried him over to the bed he was residing in. He gently laid him beside the Finn, who gave a nod when the Dane shot him a questioning look. He stood up tall again, and with a hearty grin, clapped his hands together, as if getting rid of imaginary dust.

"Okaaaay! Just let him rest a mo, and he'll soon be right as rain!" He laughed loudly. He plopped himself down next to Finland , who gave a warning glare to shut up. He did so, chuckling softly.

Iceland still had his back to them, and had now opted for sitting in the corner of the room, texting furiously to Hong Kong.

**From: Iceland**

**To: Hong Kong**

**How long are you staying with them for? We could meet up for New Year's if you want. Text back a time and date to meet.**

**Iceland x**

He jabbed the send button and smiled softly. He knew the other two couldn't see it, so it was okay. The thought of seeing Xiang again made his stomach flip, but not in a bad way. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the other two talking amongst themselves. Good. He could go fetch some more food.

As he was about to sneak off, his phone buzzed. His eyes widened with hope as he checked the caller ID.

Hong Kong.

He struggled to hide his grin as the Dane and Finn shot him curious glances, but went back to talking. He excused himself before running out the room and of earshot before answering.

"Hæ (Hi)" He spoke quietly, his native language flowing off his tounge.

"**Hello" **The other greeted, his voice sharp, with a strange accent which was a mixture of English and Chinese.

"Hvað vilt þú? (What do you want?)" He asked. To some that may have sounded rude, but the two were generally quite bad at communicating, so it was normal to be blunt and to the point.

"**Ég sá textann þinn, og mig langaði til að ræða dagsetningu fyrir fundinn. (I saw your text, and I wanted to discuss a date for meeting.)"** He replied.

Iceland smiled. He loved it when Xiang spoke to him in Icelandic. His accent made it sound magical, and it made his heart flutter.

"Jæja, ég verð að vera hér í Svíþjóð í aðra tvo daga að minnsta kosti, hvernig um 28? (Well, I have to stay here in Sweden for another two days at least, so how about the 28th?)" He said, speaking slowly as he remembered that Sealand was coming over tomorrow for Boxing day. He groaned internally.

"**The 28? Hljómar vel. Kennari mun ekki huga, ég er viss, bara að láta mig spyrja hann eina mínútu. (The 28****th****? Sounds good. Just let me ask teacher a moment, I'm sure he won't mind.)"** Emil heard the boy talking in Chinese to who he assumed what Yao. There was shouting. Iceland flinched and held the phone away from his ear.

"**Hryggur óður í þessi. Kóreu var tilfinning að kennarinn aftur. Hann sagði að það verður allt í lagi. Svo ég ætla að sjá þig þar? (Sorry about that. Korea was feeling up teacher again. He said it will be fine. So I'll see you there?)"** Xiang apologised.

"Bíddu. Hvar erum við fundi? (Wait, where are we meeting?)" He inquired, tone hushed as he heard the signs of movement in the bedroom.

"**Oh, því miður. Ég hélt að við myndum nú þegar rætt það. Hvernig óður í þinn stað? Ég heyrði Ísland er mjög falleg og hátíðlegur á nýja ár. (Oh, sorry. I thought we'd already discussed that. How about at your place? I heard Iceland is really pretty and festive at New Year's." **Emil felt his face flush at the compliment to his country. His heart rate picked up and he struggled to reply.

"J-Já, viss. Svo ég ætla að hitta þig þar… (Y-yes, sure. So I'll meet you there…)" He stuttered, cursing himself for sounding so stupid.

"**Allt í lagi. Oh, og eitt enn. (Okay. Oh, and one more thing.)"** Iceland perked up. **"Gleðileg jól fallega.** **(Merry Christmas, beautiful.)"**

And with that parting phrase, Xiang hung up. Emil stood there stunned, unable to move. His phone was still pressed against his ear, listening to the dial tone telling him that the phone call had ended. Slowly, he took the phone away from his ear and placed it in his pocket.

'_B-beautiful?'_ His heart began to thump loudly, and a warm smile graced his features. He couldn't wait for the 28th. He knew that this was going to be his best New Year's yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ̢ô̡ ̮ ̢ô̡ ) ( o̿ ̭o̿ ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Finland's POV_

I looked at my feet which we swinging off the edge of the bed. Denmark sat beside me, Iceland was in the corner doing god knows. I still felt a little confused inside, and the outside; well, my injuries weren't exactly painless. I looked at the cast on my right leg. This one was a white colour, unlike the pale blue one on my arm. I smiled internally. They reminded me of the Finnish flag, and that put me at ease.

"So…" I glanced up at Denmark as he spoke.

"What was that back there?" I tensed up. I didn't want to explain to him about my feelings for Sweden. He sensed this and rubbed my back in soothing circles. I sighed happily. Denmark could be a moron and a prick at times, but he was undoubtedly one of my oldest friends. I could confide in him, I just didn't want to.

"I don't know" I mumbled, going back to inspecting my toes as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

I heard a buzzing noise, and looked up. Iceland looked embarrassed, as his gaze focused on his phone. I saw traces of a smile on his face as he looked at the screen. He glanced at me for a second before rushing out of the room. Matthias shook his head.

"Kids these days…" He muttered.

"You can't talk" I retorted. He looked surprised for a second, but laughed it off. Once he'd calmed down, he turned back to me.

"Come on then. You're gunna have to tell me some time…" I shook my head, not wanting to speak.

I heard him sigh, and I slumped. Then I felt light. I looked up, startled.

Matthias had picked me up, and placed me on his lap. I stared at him, shocked before trying to get off. He chuckled and held me in place. I glared at him.

"Let go of me." His grin got even wider, if that was possible.

"Nope! Not until you spill." He poked my nose with a finger and I grumbled. I was beginning to get uncomfortable, so I fidgeted. He wouldn't let up though, keeping two solid arms around me as I attempted to scramble off him.

"This is unfair" I whined, sounding like a child. He laughed at my weak attempts.

"I'm injured; you can't do this to me!" I tried to make him feel guilty. He just smirked. I pouted.

"I won't tell you anything unless you let me go." At this, he snorted.

"We both know that's not true. Now get on and explain before I have to resort to tickling~" I gasped.

"You wouldn't" I glared.

"You want to test that?" His hands began to shift round to my middle, and I instantly backtracked.

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you! Just…just don't tickle me!" I cried. He'd found out one of my biggest weaknesses a couple of centuries ago, and he constantly held it over my head.

"Blackmail always wins!" He snickered. I smacked him round the head. It wasn't hard, but he stopped laughing nonetheless. I slumped in his arms, defeated.

"Fine…what is it you want to know?" I sighed.

He made a noise of thought. "I want to know why you reacted the way you did when Iceland talked about Sweden…" I groaned. I knew he would ask that, and I had been dreading it.

"I…don't want to answer that…" I whispered. I refused to meet his gaze, but I could feel it on my face. He slowly bought his hands to my sides. I gasped.

"No! Don't you dare-okay! I'll tell you! I'll tell you…just don't!" He smirked, but I could see genuine concern in his eyes. I took a deep breath.

"I…He…umm…" I didn't know how to phrase it, and I hung my head. There was no way I was going to say it.

"Just tickle me, and get it over with…" I muttered. But I never felt his strong fingers rest at my sides. In fact, I instead felt his arms close around me protectively. I glanced up at his face.

Instead of the usual smirk he wore, his face was a mask of sympathy and understanding.

"You love him, don't you?" My eyes widened as I heard the words spill from his mouth. It felt as if the entire world had just stopped and was now focused on me, taunting me. I froze, not moving as I realised. He knew. But how? I felt pressure as he waited for my answer, but I didn't know which one to give. If I said yes, what would his reaction be? Would he tell Su-san? Would he keep it to himself? I was unsure. Despite his warm arms being around me, I felt unsafe. I felt as if everyone knew my secret. In my confusion, I didn't realise I'd spoken.

"W-what?" I choked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ̢ô̡ ̮ ̢ô̡ ) ( o̿ ̭ o̿ ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Denmark's POV_

"You love him don't you?" The words were out before I could stop them.

The Finn in my arms froze up, every muscle tense. His amethyst orbs were wide and his face sported an expression I could not for the life of me work out. His breath quickened, and I was actually beginning to panic before he spoke.

"W-what?" He managed to say, stuttering on his words. I sighed in relief internally. I was worried he was going to have another panic attack. Sweden would kill me if he found out I'd distressed his 'wife' as he called Tino once he was out of earshot.

"It's alright…you don't have to hide it from me." I began to rock him back and forth, like a child. He seemed to relax a bit more after a few minutes, but his guard wasn't completely down.

"How…h-how could you t-tell?" He whispered. He hid his face in my shirt as I held him.

"It is rather obvious…"I said more to myself than anyone else. He heard me anyway as he looked at me, fear being the most prominent emotion in his lilac eyes.

"…O-obvious? What do you m-mean?" Ah. I shouldn't have said that. I cursed at my idiocy. Lukas always said I was an idiot. I agreed with him now.

"I mean…don't worry. I know for a fact BerBer hasn't noticed, so calm down. I just meant that…well…Do you remember when you left my house?" He looked at me uncertainly, but nodded.

"You always followed Sweden, and you two looked after each other a lot…so I presumed that…And with your independence! Do you remember how he supported you afterwards? It was pretty clear that you two were close, so yeaahh…" I trailed off, wanting to see Tino's reaction to my words.

His face was still in my shirt, but his grip had loosened considerably.

"…Don't tell him, o-okay?" He mumbled. I smiled softly. Finland had always been shy, despite his cheerful and chatty exterior. And no matter how warped our past was, I did care for him. He was like a little brother to me, as was Iceland.

"I promise." I replied patting his hair soothingly. He glanced up at me, a soft smile gracing his face. I chuckled quietly.

"Y'know, you should smile more like that when Sweden is around." I smirked. He shot me a dirty look and punched me playfully. I laughed and ruffled his hair. He snuggled into my embrace again.

"Thank you brother Den…" He muttered. I looked at him astonished. It had been centuries since he last called me that. I hugged him, placing my chin on his head.

"You're welcome."

**Huzzah! Another chapter up and running!:3 **

**Sorry about the lack of Christmassy- Dindin's, but I promise it will be in the next chapter (that I have already started writing)! **

**And hopefully chapter 6 will be up considerably faster than this one was.**

**I AM SO SORRY! I took like, over a month to get this up, and I have nothing to blame apart from my parents. Who refuse to buy me a laptop. **

**Whatever ;3**

**Read and review lovelies! :***

**-TheSpanishBanana**


	6. Of Interest and Cooking

**Yet another chapter y'all!**

**I AM A TERRIBLE AUTHOR! I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE! I SHOULD JUST GO DIE IN A SECLUDED PART OF THE FOREST NOW…I really am sorry about the wait, but things have been pretty crazy lately with the awesome weather and exams and various trips abroad…It's a busy term. :'L**

**Anyone who lives in England will know that it's pretty warm lately!:'0 It's amazing! I don't have to wear my school jumper constantly now! Yipeee!~~~~ By the way, I'm changing the rating up to M simply because of my potty mouth and for later chapters, if you get what I mean;) wink wink~**

**Disclaimer: *le sigh* To my great misfortune, I do not in fact own Hetalia…which is …sucky.**

**Okieees! Onwards me hearties!~~~**

_Sweden's POV_

I glanced wearily at the list for what seemed to be the thousandth time. I simply couldn't make out the scrawl that was Matthias' writing. I squinted, trying to decipher the scribble that was the requested food, feeling a migraine beginning to pound at the back of my skull. I sighed. As if my eyesight wasn't bad enough already. Giving up, my eyes raked over the rest of the list, which was written in considerably neater script; no doubt most of it was Iceland's handwriting judging by the sheer amount of confectionary written in the same style. I half-heartedly pushed the trolley, trying to block out the noise of the overly crowded supermarket which would undoubtedly only worsen my oncoming headache.

Despite the mass of people gathered at the store, I didn't have any trouble making my way through them; people seemed to cower in fear every time I got too close and they parted like the red sea. I'm not complaining though, it's extremely efficient, but there are times when I wish that people wouldn't be so scared of my face. I don't intentionally frown, it's just the way my face is structured, and having impaired sight means that I have to get up close and squint to be able to see. I suppose that doesn't really help…

I was knocked out of my rambling mind as I accidently nudged another customer with my trolley. I muttered an apology and in return got a frightened squeak. I broke a little inside. Why was everyone so terrified? They didn't even know me, so how could they judge me like that? There really wasn't much I could do about my expression… I sighed. Even the ones close to me are still a little put-off by my face; even Tino. If Tino couldn't understand me, then who would? I was certain that there wasn't a soul alive that was as pure and kind as Tino's. Ah, how I wished he could be beside me right now. He'd chatter mindlessly as I'd gather up the groceries and would unknowingly fill the lonely void that settled in my heart. He always wore that bright smile, and he was really good with children. It always made my heart flutter when I saw him conversing with the little kids during the Christmas Season, as he played the role of Santa Claus at various shopping centres. Not to mention the days when Peter and (occasionally) Latvia would come round. He would always make time for them; to play their games, cook their food, make snacks, wash clothes (after a particularly rough game outside), to bandage up their scrapes…

I slipped my glasses up my face with my index finger. Tino always worked hard for others, and was always supportive too. Now he needed somebody. I smiled a little. I was more than happy to take on that role. He was so precious to me, and maybe…maybe something good may come from this experience?

I wistfully thought of romantic scenarios I'd find myself in with the cute little Finn, subconsciously placing all the food into the cart and heading towards the cashier point. As I unloaded around half the supermarket's food supply onto the conveying belt, (and also ignoring the service boy's baffled and slightly amused face at the amount), my mind began to take notes.

So today was Christmas day. That meant that tomorrow, just like every year, Sealand was due to pay a visit until New Years. As much as I loved to see the energetic boy, I wasn't sure if Tino was ready to face his hyper personality this time; especially as Tino was the one that Peter liked to be around the most. Well, Tino and his Latvian friend, Raivis. Speaking of which, I was certain that Sealand had mentioned something about bringing Latvia around for Christmas at the last world meeting…I couldn't care less, after all, I thought that Raivis' quiet and timid nature would maybe help soothe Peter's bouncy and loud one, which would be a blessing given the recent circumstances.

I absentmindedly paid for the products, and walked out of the store quickly. The sooner I was home, the better. I had a Christmas meal to cook, and not to mention I didn't like the thought of the idiot hanging around the Finn for too long. I climbed into my car, and drove home, barely under the speed limit in my hurry to protect the frail boy.

I pulled up into the driveway only 10 minutes later, relieved to find that my house was still intact. I checked the clock on my dashboard. It read 11:23am. I raised an eyebrow at this; I'd been gone for half an hour. _'How time flies when you're caught up in your thoughts'_. With a silent sigh, I got out of the toasty car and unloaded the boot. Making my way up the front steps, I noticed that someone had made a snowman in my front garden. I couldn't help a soft smile. Iceland was still such a child in many ways. Helping myself inside, I slammed the door to announce my presence and dumped the 20 full-to-bursting shopping bags on the kitchen floor. As I went to hang up my coat, I noticed that the house was eerily quiet. I frowned. Since when was any place quiet with Matthias in the vicinity?

I shrugged it off. They were probably just having a nap (Tino), playing video games or texting (Emil), attempting to make coffee (Lukas) and/or watching porn (Matthias). Seeing as they were all 'busy', I decided that I may as well get on with making the lunch. As I entered the kitchen again, I wasn't entirely surprised to find Iceland looking through the bags curiously.

"Ic'l'nd."

Said boy jumped at my voice and looked up immediately. His expression of shock soon wore off into one of emptiness though as he realised it wasn't his brother coming to chew him out over his eating habits. Emil rose to his feet and gave me an appreciative nod.

"Thanks for getting everything." He muttered. I patted his head softly as I passed him to turn the oven on.

"'t was n' pr'blem…" I replied.

I turned though at the sound of a plastic bag rustling. Emil rooted around for a bit until he pulled out a packet of Mince Pies. I'd originally bought them for Peter; as even though he had his disagreements with England, he still liked most of the nation's food related traditions.

"May I?" He enquired stoically.

After a moment's hesitation, I nodded.

"J'st m'ke s're t' le've s'me f'r P'ter." I said.

With that statement of consent, he walked over to the microwave and started to place three in. I supressed a chuckle; the Icelandic's appetite was something to marvel. I returned to the oven and preheated it to 180°C. After unpacking and setting all the food items on the island, I began to brew some coffee to keep me going. Emil glanced at me questiongly, and I nodded. He wanted some coffee. I grabbed an extra mug off the shelf and poured him a cup. I passed it to him at the same time he sat down with a plate of three, steaming Mince Pies. He thanked me silently.

"I'll g' se' 'f th' 'thers w'nt s'me coff'e, 'kay?"

He nodded understandingly, and I left the room. As I walked up the stairs, I could hear quiet voices chatting vigorously, and I instantly felt better. It meant that there was a good chance that the Dane hadn't overwhelmed the Finn enough for him to pass out.

I knew that it was morally wrong to eavesdrop, but I debated that just a few seconds would be fine. I pressed an ear to my intricately carved mahogany door, and listened intently.

"Hmmm, yeah, Icey does seem to be at that age, huh~." A warm chuckle hit my ears, the Danish accent prominent in the voice.

"I suppose so. Do you think Lukas knows about it?" The Finnish voice floated through the gap underneath the door, the cute lilt making my cheeks heat up slightly. I cursed internally; how did he manage to be so irresistibly adorable? My mind was drawn back to the conversation as I heard sheets rustling. Matthias piped up.

"Not actually sure. I would think so though. He keeps a very close eye on Em, although he does give him privacy too of course…"

What were they talking about in there? Was Emil up to something again? He did seem a bit quiet a second ago, but that was usual, and it's not like I could talk…

A high pitched 'Kyaaa' rang out, and I could picture Tino's face vividly; soft and blushing as he let out the feminine- sounding squeal of happiness.

"Do you reckon he's really his lover~?" So that's what they were talking about. I could hear the excited tone of the Finn, and I began to wonder.

'_Does Tino want a lover too?'_

Now that I thought about it, perhaps Tino wasn't even interested in finding someone. And even if he was, I highly doubted it would be me. I was well aware of the stares he sends my way every meeting, but perhaps he was just curious about something? Maybe there was food on my face? I'd really hoped that there was a chance that those stares were out of…something love-related, but could I have misinterpreted them? Most likely.

"Hahaha! I hope so! That'd be awesome! I'd love to see Icey with another person, he barely talks these days~. He could do with the human interaction, not just socialising with that screamo Puffin of his."

"I agree. But is he really his type? What kind of person would be his type do you think~?"

A noise of thought could be heard through the thick door.

"Hmmm…I would think that the more happy type would be his preference…"

A light giggle reached my ears.

"I'm not sure, I'm willing to bet he likes the romantic, silent type…~"

I raised an eyebrow. They'd both really given it some thought, haven't they? How did this conversation even start anyhow? And now that I was home, I began to notice a lack of a certain Norwegian…

"…I guess that works too~. How do you reckon Norgie would react~?" Soft laughter mixed in with a snicker. I frowned a little. Did this mean that Emil had gotten himself a lover then? That left Tino and I as the only ones in our 'family' who didn't have one…

I shook my head to clear the images of Tino and I getting together after realising our undying love, and noticed that I hadn't fulfilled the task he'd come up for in the first place.

_Normal POV_

Taking a deep breath, Berwald straightened up and knocked solidly twice before letting himself into the room.

The sight that met him was unexpected, to say the least. Denmark and Finland were both on the bed, above the covers, Tino sitting beside the older nation. Said Finnish boy gave a squeak of surprise at the sudden entry. Both sets of eyes were trained on him, one pair displaying amusement and mischief, the other shock and confusion. He ignored the stares as he looked around the room in one glance. The furniture was generally still in place (surprisingly) but the bed was a mess. The pillows were strewn around the floor, and the duvet was more off the bed than on. Not to mention the two people sitting on it.

The Dane for the most part looked content, but his face and arms were bruised, his shirt ruffled, and his hair was drooping slightly; a nice change from his usual, hectic spikes. And Tino was, well, breath-taking as usual, but he too looked more bothered than when he'd last laid eyes on him. His slightly damp hair was sticking up in all directions, and his eyes were wide, the purple hints in them mixing together exotically, the right one having a slightly milky film over it. Berwald couldn't help but lose himself to those captivating orbs for a second. He then raked his eyes over the rest of the small Finn. His head and cheek were neatly patched up again, and his complexion was looking brighter now the pain from his wounds had died down. One thing the Swede couldn't fail to notice though was that his nightshirt had ridden all the way up his thighs, exposing long, creamy legs for him to secretly ogle at. He stopped staring when the Finn fidgeted nervously, and hitched down the shirt quickly. He also noticed a human-shaped lump under the covers.

He frowned.

"Wh't's th't?" He inquired, his voice thick.

The tense atmosphere that had gathered in the room shattered as he spoke. Matthias grinned and patted the bundle of duvets.

"It's Norgie~ He's a bit tired." He laughed obnoxiously which caused the other two nations to wince.

"R'ght…why's h' in h're th'ugh? Th're 're pl'nty of sp're r'oms ar'und…" He noticed Tino gulp, and made sure to smoothen his face out; he hadn't realised he'd been glaring at the Dane.

"Sheesh! So fussy! Okay, fine, he fainted, alright? It was just easier to put him here, as I was talking to Finny anyway. Not to mention, you said it was okay, right Fin~?" He patted the Finn on the back.

"Y-yes!" Tino squeaked, a little intimidated by Berwald's slight grimace. Said Swede trained his eyes on him for a second, and he tensed up. After holding his gaze for a second, Berwald coughed into his hand and glared at the Dane.

"Ok'y, as l'ng as 't d'esn't b'ther F'nland, it's f'ne w'th me…" He decided he'd find out the details of Lukas' passed out state later, as he realised he was once again off track. Quickly gathering himself, he addressed the other two.

"W'uld y'u tw' like s'me coff'e?"

They both stared at him for a moment, surprised by the sudden change of subject. Matthias was the first to recover, flashing a bright grin at the Swedish nation.

"Sounds awesome to me! Cheers~!"

Tino however sat there, eyes locked onto the ones of Berwald, a blush creeping up his face steadily the longer they stayed there. Denmark looked between the two thoughtfully, trying to figure out what messages they were sending each other through their intense stare-out.

Finally, the Finn broke the connection, coughing awkwardly into his uninjured hand. He didn't make eye contact again as he mumbled.

"A cup of coffee would be l-lovely, thank you…"

Sweden gave a quiet grunt in affirmation, and left. No one noticed the faint blush he wore on his cheeks.

Finland's POV (Ending scene from previous chapter cont.)

"You're welcome." Matthias' words touched me, and I smiled softly. In a way, it felt nice that someone knew my secret. As if a great weight had been lifted off my heart. I sighed quietly and rested my head on his shoulder, letting my eyes flutter close for a bit.

I woke up around ten minutes later with a start as my head hit something soft. Groaning internally, I cracked my eyes open as a chuckle rang out.

"Couldn't you be more careful?" I grumbled, unhappy about being disturbed from my nap. I gasped quietly as the Dane took up my vision suddenly, leaning over my head.

"Sorry princess! Just needed ta' check on Luke a sec~" He grinned playfully. I sat up; smacking the back of his head with my hand and laughing when I heard a groan of pain escape his lips. He turned to me, confused.

"Don't call me princess. I'm not a girl, okay? Not to mention, wouldn't Lukas be your 'princess', if anyone?" I glowered, but I didn't put any power behind my tone. He knew this and ruffled my hair, earning him another gentle smack.

"Ya could've fooled me~ and Luke isn't my princess, he's my Queen~" He smiled down softly at his sleeping boyfriend, giving him a quick peck on the lips before smirking up at me.

I shook my head; it was pointless arguing with that idiot. Everything went in through one ear and out the other with him. However, I couldn't help but feel a little insecure about his words.

'_Am I really that feminine? I mean, sure, I like cooking and housework, but those aren't only for women to do! Men can do them too! That's right Finny! You're a real man! You're more manly than…than…Holy Martin Luther, I really am feminine…but is that so bad? I suppose Lukas is relatively feminine and Matthias doesn't seem to mind, so perhaps Ber won't either…'_

Kyaaaaa! What was wrong with my head today?! I doubted Berwald would care either way, as he was not interested in me. I sighed. This entire thing really was pointless. I'd liked him secretly for centuries now, and nothing had happened to indicate he liked me in…that way. So what was the point? I'd tried giving up, honestly I had, but it never worked. It was like my heart was wired to love him from the moment we met.

I groaned, and ignored Matthias' worried glance as I did so. Stupid heart. Sometimes I wished I didn't have one. Life would be so much easier, right? I fell gently back onto the dishevelled sheets and closed my eyes in a vain attempt to sleep. In my head I played back times of when Sweden and I would be together…like that time…

_~Finland's Dream~_

"_Estoniaaaaaaaaa!" I cried. Martin Luther was I glad to see him, how long had it been anyway?! I threw myself onto him in a surprise bear hug, catching him off guard as the Baltic nation opened his door._

"_O-Oh! Hello Finland!" His eyes widened visibly in shock at the attack. "What brings you here?" I couldn't stop hugging him. After days of wondering around the countryside with no one but my lifelong love interest, it was nice to finally see someone less awkward to be around. At least, that was my reasoning. _

_Speaking of which, said 'love interest' was standing behind me a few metres back, and I could feel his intense gaze boring into my back. I shivered, jumping down from Eduard. I figured he couldn't see the other member of the 'Running away from Denmark' party until then, because he suddenly let out an ear piercing shriek. _

"_HOLY MARTIN LUTHER HE'S SCAAAARRRY!" I froze. Oh merciful Odin, now he's done it. Sweden will hear him and will hate me and walk off without me! I couldn't survive on my own in the wild! As I'd explained the Berwald a few nights ago, I was surrounded by many scary and dominating countries; who knows what would happen if I was left on my own?! I wasn't strong enough yet! I gasped and tried to shut him up before he said something else in his terror-induced state-although I could understand where he was coming from; Sweden's glare was very forceful._

"_Shuuut uuup! I've tried very hard not to say that to him and you just scream it like it was noootthiiiing!" I whispered frantically, turning back to Sweden. _

"_Wh't?" He questioned. His face was a solemn as ever; no proof that he'd been insulted by the previous comment. I held my breath, not quite sure what his next move would be. Would he walk away? Would he shout at Estonia? Fight him?_

_No…Berwald wouldn't go that far._

_I was drifted out of my thoughts by Estonia's apology._

"_A-ah, y-yes, sorry, a-anyway…I…um…I-I'm called Estonia, it's a pleasure to meet you!" He stuttered, beads of sweat gathering at his forehead. I awaited Sweden's reaction with bated breath. _

_Nothing happened. His face stayed perfectly sculpted into one of sincerity as he mumbled._

"_Y'ah…w'll I 'm Swed'n." I sighed in relief, glad that they were getting along alright. _

_Suddenly, I felt a large presence looming beside me, and I looked up to see Berwald there, gazing down at me with a collection of emotions swimming deep in his eyes that I couldn't identify…_

"_And th's…" He put a large, warm hand on the small of my back, steadying me. I froze, my heart hammering inside my chest…_

"_Is my w'fe." _

_I practically choked on air. His w-wife?! I could tell there was a blush rising to my cheeks, and I felt faint. Somehow, I still managed to resist._

"_Huh?! H-hey! Don't be so silly! Wh-why would you say something like th-that?!" I gasped out, my ears beginning to ring as the blood rushed to my head. Despite this, I never once broke eye contact with the Swede as he simply grunted. _

_Through the corner of my eye, I could see Estonia by the door, a worried frown etched onto his face…_

_~End a la Dream du Finland~_

"-ut up! It isn't like that!"

"Sure it's not~."

Ugh. Couldn't Denmark be quiet for at least two minutes? I could hear the teasing note in his voice and I groaned, feeling a headache arise.

I never was a very good person at waking up…

Nethertheless, I proceeded to crack open my eyes to find Matthias (no surprises there) and…Emil(?) arguing. They obviously didn't notice that they'd woken me.

"It isn't! It was just a friend! A FRIEND!"

I was shocked at the tone in the Icelandic's voice, and was instantly intrigued as to what the dispute was about. I couldn't remember the last time he'd raised his voice.

"Just a friend?" I heard a dramatic sigh. "Since when did you get a friend?"

Now securely propped up on the pillows, I watched the fight with interest. I bit my lip anxiously as I saw Iceland flinch. That comment must've struck a nerve.

"W-well…It's not like you have many! And I'm more than capable of having friends, thank you very much, I just don't happen to need any!"

This was getting a bit out of hand. The atmosphere in the room was thick, and I could see that Emil was quickly becoming insulted. His usually stoic face was flushed a rosy hue, and his pale, violet eyes were swimming with raw pain and frustration. Denmark was surprisingly looking pretty regretful. He sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. Look, I'm sorry. But seriously, is it so bad to tell me who you were calling?"

The blush on Emil's cheeks became more prominent. I watched in wonder. How did Matthias cause this predicament? Everyone knew very well that the Icelandic boy barely ever showed emotion of any kind.

"N-not exactly. I just fail to see how it is any of your business…"

"Awww~ C'mon! You can tell brother Den~!" He winked mischievously.

"There is nothing going on! And you're not my brother!"

And with that, Iceland stormed out of the room, his fair eyebrows pulled into a frown and a blush spread across his face.

Denmark let out a small chuckle before turning back to the bed, a look of mild shock crossing his features as he saw me.

"Ah, you're awake!"

"Yes…so…what was that all about?" I inquired. Although I had pretty much summed it up, I still wanted to know the full story.

A broad grin flashed across his face, his sky blue eyes lighting up mockingly.

"Icey's gotta boyfriend!"

I gasped.

"R-really? Who?" I couldn't help but feel a little sad inside at the news, despite my pure interest and excitement. I wanted a boyfriend too…someone you could call a lover. But not just any boy.

I wanted Sweden. Berwald.

"Well, I can't say a name for certain, but I think I may have the faintest of clues…" He sniggered.

"Tell me!" I demanded. I couldn't imagine Emil going out with a number of the nations in the world-assuming it was a nation he was dating…

What if it was a human? I pondered on the idea.

No, probably not. Emil wasn't one for socialising, and therefore never really had the chance to meet anyone outside his own kind.

I was brought back into reality by the Dane's hushed voice.

"Do you know that kid he's been hanging out with recently? Y'know…I think his name was Hong Kong?"

An imaginary bulb lit up in my head. Of course! How did I not realise before? It had to be Hong Kong! Only the other day I overheard Norway and China talking about their brothers' close relationship! Not to mention they went to America's yearly Halloween party together! I giggled a bit. It was nice to think that Iceland had a proper friend. He was always so shut off from the world, with that indifferent personality of his…

But the entire situation kept bringing me back to thinking how much I longed for Sweden. Back to the times when he'd refer to me as his 'wife'. He'd only stopped recently, and although I'd never admit it to anyone, I wanted him to call me that again. Because when he did, I could pretend that I actually was his wife, and that made my stomach produce butterflies and my heart swoop. I loved that feeling. I loved him.

"Do you think…?" I trailed off.

Matthias nodded enthusiastically.

"It's pretty obvious. Yet he still tries to deny it~." He smirked fondly. "He's such a kid."

I smiled at this.

"Don't let him hear you say that." I warned playfully.

He let out a hearty chuckle.

"I suppose. But he is though! Well, at least compared to us~." I had to nod at that.

"Yes, but we are just old." I saw the Danes face droop and had to supress a smirk.

"Speak for yourself! I am not old! I'll have you know I'm in my prime!"

I couldn't hold back a laugh any longer, letting a giggle escape my lips. Matthias puffed out his cheeks in mild annoyance, and I patted his back reassuringly.

"Okay, okay. I'm the one that's old. Even though you're older than me…"

"Only by a century or two!"

"A century is a pretty long time, Den."

"Only if you're a human. Which we're not."

"True."

We both fell silent for a minute or two, wondering how we got so off track from our previous conversation. I broke the silence.

"How can you be certain though?"

He glanced at me, dark eyebrows shooting up.

"Are you kiddin' me? Those two are practically joined to the hip at world meetings and social events. Like at France's Christmas party two years ago, remember? Everywhere Hong went, Icey went. It was so cute~! You should've seen the look on Norgie's face though~. I get the feeling he doesn't approve of Emil hanging around him…something about him being a fireworks delinquent or something…ah yes-!"

As he carried on talking, I zoned him out, making sure to morph my face into an expression that partially resembled interest and attention. Ugh. I was getting tired again, the signs being my heavy eyelids and fuzzy hearing. I cursed my weak body. How much time am I going to waste sleeping? Even in this state, there were things I wanted to do, like go outside and make snowmen with Ice, Sea and Latvia. I also wanted to help Sweden buy the food and cook with him. I wanted to help set out all of the presents under the Christmas tree and have a nice, long, relaxing sauna…mmm…~ I could imagine it now.

I let my eyelids drift shut, wanting the warmth of sleep to embrace me until my body finally healed. It didn't last for long though, as a felt a sharp flick befall my nose.

"Ow!" I exclaimed loudly, caught by surprise by the particularly harsh treatment. I opened my weary eyes and directed a glare at the Dane.

"What was that for?"

He pouted childishly, giving me the same puppy eyes he gave Lukas when he'd clearly done something unacceptable.

"You're not allowed to fall asleep too! 'Cuz then I'd be all on my own in this boring house, with no one to talk tooo!" He whined.

"What a shame…" I muttered.

"You were just sleeping ten minutes ago anyway! Why do you need all this sleep?"

I sighed and rubbed my eyes in an attempt to clear the sleeping dust from them.

"I'm not sure, to be quite honest…I just feel really tired…"

His eyes bored holes into my eyes as he stared unashamedly. After a couple of awkwardly silent seconds, he shrugged.

"It's probably just your body's way of coping with all the damage…"

This time it was me staring. He hardly ever said something rational.

"Yeah…I suppose…"

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"It's kind of strange…" I mused out loud.

Matthias blinked at me, clearly not understanding what I meant. I giggled quietly at the expression he had.

"Y'know, Ice being all grown up and having a love life…"

A face-splitting grin spread across his features.

"Hmmm, yeah, Icey does seem to be at that age, huh~." He chuckled to himself.

"I suppose so. Do you think Lukas knows about it?" I turned on the bed slowly, stretching out my cramped leg muscles. A pillow softly fell onto the floor, but I paid it no mind as I watched Matthias ponder over the question for a minute.

"Not actually sure. I would think so though. He keeps a very close eye on Em, although he does give him privacy too of course…" I nodded in silent agreement. Just thinking about it made me happy for the boy. I let out a soft 'kyaaa'. I couldn't help but wonder though. The two seem too stoic to be together…

"Do you reckon he's really his lover~?" I asked slowly, tapping my finger lightly on my chin in thought.

"Hahaha! I hope so! That'd be awesome! I'd love to see Icey with another person, he barely talks these days~. He could do with the human interaction, not just socialising with that screamo Puffin of his." The Dane practically yelled. Where does he get all that enthusiasm and energy from? Nethertheless I was still curious about the ordeal…

"I agree. But is he really his type? What kind of person would be his type do you think~?" I glanced up at Denmark, trying to read his many, confusing expressions. Needless to say, I failed. He hmm'ed before he answered swiftly.

"Hmmm…I would think that the more happy type would be his preference…" I couldn't help but giggle a tiny bit at the Dane's stupidity. How would that possibly work? I know everyone says that 'opposites attract' and all, but it was common knowledge that Emil couldn't handle much emotion…

"I'm not sure, I'm willing to bet he likes the romantic, silent type…~" I blurted out. Therefore, Hong Kong would suit his preferences perfectly as far as I was concerned. I was dragged out of my thoughts as Matthias spoke.

"…I guess that works too~. How do you reckon Norgie would react~?" We both laughed, imagining what Lukas' face would be like if he ever found out that his precious little brother was dating the mischievous Chinese boy.

Just as I opened my mouth to express my humour on the matter, two paced knocks rung out through the room and I jumped a little in surprise. I trained my eyes to the door as it opened cautiously.

I failed to stifle a soft squeak of surprise as Berwald walked into the room, looking slightly guilty, although I had no idea why. His eyebrows rose slightly as his piercing blue orbs observed the state of his room. It wasn't long before his eyes were back on Matthias and me. I caught him glancing at my lap, and feeling the sudden looseness of my shirt down below, I realised why. Failing to hold back a blush, I frantically pulled the hem of the borrowed shirt down, successfully covering my -in my opinion- fat thighs. It seemed as if he couldn't care less as his line of vision swept away from my crotch and to the area where Lukas was on the bed, safely asleep under the covers. He frowned.

"Wh't's th't?" He asked, his voice laced with confusion.

Through the corner of my eye, I noticed the Dane beside me shift and pat Norway's back softly.

"It's Norgie~ He's a bit tired." He let loose an irritatingly loud laugh which caused me to flinch slightly. It was weird how the Dane's attitude changed around Berwald at times.

Turning my attention back to the Swede at the door, I gulped. "R'ght…why's h' in h're th'ugh? Th're 're pl'nty of sp're r'oms ar'und..." He was full on glaring at the oblivious Dane, but suddenly stopped doing so as he glanced at me. Matthias took the opportunity to defend himself.

"Sheesh! So fussy! Okay, fine, he fainted, alright? It was just easier to put him here, as I was talking to Finny anyway. Not to mention, you said it was okay, right Fin~?" And with that, he gave me a hearty smack on my back, making me gasp silently in slight pain and surprise.

"Y-yes!" I stuttered out. I then noticed that Berwald's eyes were staring into my own, causing a shiver to run down my spine. It was like he was searching for some kind of answer in my own orbs. He must've found something in them, as he turned away, coughing into his hand to break the awkward atmosphere that had built during our eye contact.

"Ok'y, as l'ng as 't d'esn't b'ther F'nland, it's f'ne w'th me…" I heard him mutter out. And though I knew it meant nothing, I couldn't help but feel a little touched by his consideration for my feelings. I noticed Matthias smirking at me, but before I could inquire, Sweden broke the quiet air.

"W'uld y'u tw' like s'me coff'e?"

I stared at the Swede quizzically. Where did that come from all of a sudden? Weren't we just-?

"Sounds awesome to me! Cheers~!"

I glanced at the grinning Dane, surprised, but I quickly recovered as I realised the reason why Berwald had come in in the first place. I looked up at him, unable to look away as his eyes bored into mine. I wasn't sure how long it lasted, but under the intense pressure that was his stare, I looked away quickly, coughing awkwardly into my hand. I could feel my cheeks light up as I avoided any more eye contact. I struggled to choke out a coherent sentence in reply.

"A cup of coffee would be l-lovely, thank you…"

With a brief nod, Sweden turned on his heel and left the room, closing the door gently behind him. Denmark and I waited in silence until the Swede's footsteps were far enough to continue talking. I was the first one to move, letting out a shaky breath I didn't know I was holding. Beside me, Matthias' posture slumped over, relaxing his muscles.

"Do…do you think he heard what we were saying…?" I whispered to the man next to me.

He met my orbs uncertainly before sighing.

"Not sure…but why does it matter if he did? It's not like it concerned him…"

I smiled slightly in relief.

"That's true I suppose…"

_Normal POV_

Once Sweden had shut the bedroom door behind himself, he made his way steadily to the kitchen, his thought's plagued by the brief conversation he'd heard previously.

'_So does this mean that Iceland is seeing that Chinese kid…? Actually…I wouldn't be surprised…I thought they seemed close…'_

He continued walking straight pass the Icelandic boy, who'd left his empty plate and mug in the sink and had retired to sitting on the side, texting sporadically. The Swede then approached the oven, now ready and pre-heated, and carefully unwrapped the Turkey he'd bought not an hour ago, quickly stuffing it before placing into said cooking appliance. Craftily shutting the door with his foot, he turned the dial for the timer until the luminous blue numbers on the miniature oven screen read '00.45 mins'. He grunted, and proceeded to the sink to wash his hands.

On his way there, he finally noticed Emil; still residing on the shiny surface, his puffin sat comfortably upon his silvery head and eyes fixated onto the glowing screen of his mobile.

"Em'l." He spoke monotonously.

"Hm?" Came the short and uninterested reply.

"Who ya t'lkin' t'?" The Swede asked, mildly curious as to who could have stolen the boy's attention so vigorously.

Emil's eyes dragged themselves away from the device to meet Berwald's, a slight frown dancing across his pale and pretty face.

"Why does it matter to anyone?" He asked rather harshly.

Needless to say Sweden was quite taken aback by the usually cold boy's reaction to such a harmless question. He quickly pieced things together in his head.

'_So this is what those two were talking about up there…He does seem a little off, but is that really because he's being defensive over something as trivial as a lover…?'_

Berwald hastily snapped back to reality though as he realised that he'd been staring at Iceland for longer than necessary.

"It do'sn't r'ally, I w's just ask'n…" e He

He mumbled, adjusting his glasses up his nose with a pale finger.

Emil sighed wearily. "Yeah, I know…I'm sorry, it's just that…well, everyone keeps asking me that, a-and it's…not really that important. At all." He quickly hopped off the counter, making Mr Puffin loose his balance and squawk indignantly at his friend. Not looking back, Iceland hastily walked out of the room, Mr Puffin behind him.

Berwald sighed internally. It had been a very strange day so far; Waking up at an ungodly hour to find Finland passed out from pain on his living room floor, patching up said Finn, having only a couple of hours sleep afterwards, the pancake-induced vomiting, the others coming round, popping off to the supermarket with a, quite frankly, enormous list of confectionary- It was all too much… He raked his large hands through his short, cropped hair, exhaling slowly to calm his nerves.

He checked the clock on the wall. 12:16pm. He'd better get going with Christmas lunch then. It was never a good idea to keep the other Nordics waiting for food, especially on Christmas, as he'd discovered a few centuries back.

With the Turkey already prepared and roasting away, he decided to quickly make the other's some coffee then unpack the rest and get to work.

Rolling up the sleeves of his black blouse, he grabbed another two mugs and spooned an equal amount of instant coffee to each cup. He couldn't be bothered to grind the beans today. Once the kettle had boiled, he poured in the water, set the cups on a tray along with a jug of milk, and carefully headed back towards the bedroom.

Nudging the door open with his foot, he walked in steadily, giving a small grunt of acknowledgement to the two (technically three) people on the bed. They both looked up at the Swede, giving him an appreciative 'thanks' as they poured in the milk and took a mug each.

Putting the tray to the side somewhere, Berwald joined them on the bed, sitting directly in front of the injured Finn.

"Y'u f'elin' better?" He mumbled to the Finn, who in turn, looked up in surprise.

"H-huh? Oh, yes. Yes thank you." He managed to force out. He took a sip of coffee, wincing as the temperature burned his mouth. Sweden didn't miss a single movement.

"Be c'reful. It's h't."

Tino nodded briefly, before taking another quick sip in hope of avoiding an awkward silence. Matthias watched the show eagerly behind his cup. He took big gulps, and in no time, he was finished.

Letting out a satisfied "Ahhhh~", the Dane jumped off the bed, gaining the other's attention.

"That was great, thanks Ber!-" Berwald glared at the nickname "-But I think it's time Norgie and I moved out! He'll be waking up soon anyway."

Denmark then plonked his mug in a certain annoyed Swede's hands before gently lifting up his boyfriend's thin frame, and leaving the room. Sweden scowled at him the entire time, but the minute he was gone, the expression dropped off his face so fast, Tino thought he was hallucinating.

After a few silent moments, Finland cracked, not able to stand the awkwardness that was emanating from the two of them.

"S-so, uh, how was the supermarket? Did you manage to get everything you needed?" Sweden masked a look of surprise as the Finn spoke. He smiled slightly at the boy, grateful for his consideration, forced or not.

"Ja. I m'naged to g't wh't you w'nted too…"

Tino smiled back, fighting down a blush the entire time. Berwald's smile, although rare, was captivating. But that's what made it even more special.

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

Berwald looked away suddenly, not able to look at the cute Finn without resembling a tomato.

"It w's n'thing…" He muttered, still avoiding the boy's gaze.

They both sat like that for a few minutes; Finland delicately drinking his coffee, and Berwald watching him through the corner of his eye, blushing. A thought quickly sprung into Finland's mind.

"Ah! Yes! Um, do you want any help making Christmas dinner?" He asked, a hint of excitement lighting up the boy's pasty but cherubic face. Sweden looked up, startled from the silence as the Finn spoke rapidly. Such a pretty face, he thought, as he studied the features, using the relatively close proximity to do so. But at the same time, he looked so frail; pale fingers twiddling together with nervous anticipation of the Swede's answer, his slim body swallowed up by the shirt- He couldn't work like this. He'd faint, surely, or have an accident of some sort. No. It was decided, he couldn't risk the boy getting hurt.

"N'." He stated, firmly.

He instantly regretted his answer though as he saw the Finn's face drop, his eyes losing their bright spark, and his shoulders slumping. Only then did he notice how harsh it must've sounded.

"A-ah, n'. Th't's n't what I me'nt. Y'u see, y'u m'ght g't h'rt. Y'u n'ed t' rest as w'll." He stopped when he saw Tino's head shaking frantically.

"I don't need any more rest, Sve! I've slept for hours, and I'm bored! Please…please let me help you for once!" The Finn cried out, a few frustrated tears slipping down warm cheeks. It was needless to say that Berwald was taken aback by the outburst.

'_Is…is that really how he feels? Well, he has been sleeping for ages I suppose, and he's had nothing to do either. Stupid me, I should've offered him some books or games, or even- wait! That's not the issue right now…Did he just call me Sve? …It's been a long time since he last called me that. He must be really bored…And doesn't he realise how much he helps me already? I suppose him helping out wouldn't be that bad for his health…'_

The Swede quickly snapped out of his thoughts as the quiet tears progressed into noisy sobs. Without thinking, he carefully grabbed the Finn's hips, and placed him on his lap, wrapping his long arms around the small body. He gently cradled the Finn to his chest as one of his hand's stroked Tino's hair soothingly.

Although shocked at first, The Finn quickly melted into the embrace. He sobbed quietly into the man's shirt, clutching onto said item of clothing with his good hand. The other fell limp at his side. As he sat there, he realised how nice it felt to be this close to the Swede. It had been centuries since he had been held by the man, and he hadn't realised just how much he needed his touch. His sobs slowly decreased as his hair was continuously petted. Shifting, he noticed how loving the Swede was being, and unsurprisingly, heat began to travel in his cheeks once again. He buried his face even deeper into Berwald's black blouse in order to hide his burning cheeks, sniffs now being the only noise that came from him. He looked up as Sweden began to talk.

"Th're th're. 'M sorry, I didn't r'alise y'u f'lt l'ke that. Y'u c'n c'me w'th m' to h'lp if y'u pr'mise me s'mething…" He gazed down at Tino, his gaze soft and gentle as not to scare the younger nation. Finland returned the gaze, his eyes widening in joy at the Swede's words.

"Okay…" He whispered quickly, a small smile returning to his features.

"Th'n y'u m'st promise to t'll me if y'u feel ill 'r 'n pain at any m'ment, 'kay? Th'n y'u m'st pr'mise me th't y'u w'll rest for a b't unt'l you fe'l better again, y's?" He said, his gaze hardening a bit to get his point across. He refused to have his little wife in pain as long as he could help it.

Tino either didn't notice the change in his eyes, or simply didn't care as he smiled. A genuine smile, like the ones he used to display, as he giggled quietly. He subconsciously clung to the Swede's shirt tightly, wanting more of the man's warmth to settle around his tired and bruised body.

Berwald noticed this, and had to force back a blush at how adorable the Finn was.

"I promise~." The Finn said happily. Although it had been less than 12 hours, he was already sick at looking at the same 4 walls, no matter how pretty the room was. He wanted out. He was glad that he could finally be of some use to the tall nation, and was honoured that Sweden seemed to think he could be of some too.

He was ripped from his happy thoughts though as Sweden's voice sliced through them.

"H'ld on." He mumbled.

Tino barely had time to register what he said before he felt the grip on his body move. He yelped in surprise as strong arms hooked underneath his knees and back as he felt the bed fall from beneath him. In his shock, he wrapped his arms around the older country's neck, desperately clinging on. Nestling his head into the Swede's shoulder, he tried to ignore the sudden shooting pain going up his injured arm at the sudden movement. He could hear the almost non-existent chuckles that escaped Berwald's mouth.

He playfully glared at him momentarily.

"Shut up." He mumbled, embarrassed.

"'M s'rry." Sweden replied earnestly, stopping briefly to let the wriggling Finn in his arms adjust before walking out of the room. They proceeded downstairs quickly but carefully, but they stopped again when Tino let out a gasp.

"Wait, wait, wait! Isn't that your present?" He asked, looking over the Swede's shoulder and pointing. Berwald's eyes followed the direction in which he was pointing, and sure enough, he spotted the neatly wrapped package sitting on the drawers just a few steps backwards down the hallway. Realising he had yet to give the Finn in his arms a reply, he nodded.

"Why is it there?" Tino pondered, his violet orbs meeting deep turquoise ones, searching for answers in their sea-like depths.

"I accid'ntly l'ft it there earl'er, wh'n I w's making p'ncakes." He said, resisting the urge to lean down and kiss the wide-eyed boy.

"Don't you want to put it under the Christmas tree?" Tino asked cutely with a delicate smile tugging at his lips. Berwald simply nodded again, unsuccessfully fighting away a blush. Tino simply titled his head adorably, curious as to why the Swedish nation was turning red.

Berwald back tracked quickly, and once the little Finn had the present securely in his hands, they entered the lounge to put it under the tree with the rest. Tino winced a bit at the memory of his fall that took place in the same room earlier that morning.

Sweden noticed his slight discomfort.

"Y'u 'lright?" He mumbled.

Tino nodded and clutched the Swede's neck tighter. "Mhmm."

Berwald carried the Finn over to the tree, and gently knelt down beside it. Tino stretched out an arm, the other secured around Berwald's neck, and gently placed it next to an enormous present wrapped neatly in rep tissue paper and a white and navy bow. Finland chuckled. Assuming it wasn't for Iceland (seriously, that kid got tons of presents from 'mystery nations' and his brother), it was most likely for Lukas from Matthias. Speaking of which, were both in the room, and announced their presence with a cough.

Tino and Berwald both turned to see Matthias slouching on the couch opposite the tree and to the right of the large fireplace, his still unconscious boyfriend neatly draped along the aforementioned furniture. Matthias cracked a big grin at the two whilst trying to stop Sweden's cat Edvin from sitting on Lukas' head, which was on the Dane's lap; the place Edvin liked to nap on best.

"No no no, kitty, you can't sit there. You'll hurt Norge." Matthias picked up the grey cat, and placed it next to him instead. But Edvin apparently wasn't having any of that. With a growl, he jumped onto Lukas' stomach and began licking the Norwegians eyelids, frustrated that the nation wouldn't wake up and move.

"Stop that! Geez, Norge will kill me if he finds out I let you eat him whilst he's out!" He cried, attempting to move the cat away. But Edvin simply dug his claws into Lukas' shirt, clinging on for dear life as he continued lapping at the Nordic's face. Matthias whined, moaned and begged the cat to let go of his lover, but it was pointless. The grey tabby was merciless.

"Come ooon! Stop licking my boyfriend! He doesn't like it! And neither do I!" The Danish nation pouted, trying to push the Swedish cat's face away from Norway's. Said Norwegian mumbled something quietly, and turned over a bit to get away from the rough tongue. "See? I told you he didn't! Now let him rest goddammit!" Matthias was slowly beginning to lose his patience with the cat, and he flicked Edvin's nose. Edvin turned and glared at him with steely blue eyes before returning to his business beforehand.

The Swede and Finn watched from across the room, one mildly amused, the other irritated by the way the Dane was yanking on his pet's tail. But when it came to the point when Edvin began to shred Norway's shirt as his boyfriend attempted to pull him off, Berwald decided he had to step in.

With a sigh, he gently un-wrapped the Finn's arm from around his neck, and placed him gently on the floor with a strained smile which was returned understandingly. He quickly made his way over to the fighting nation and cat and the comatose boy, and glared down at the trio. Well, the two. Both seemed to feel his gaze upon them, and they slowly met his eyes, tensing up at the sight of the Swede looming over them in such a manner.

"M'tthias, let go 'f Edv'n's tail. Edv'n, let go 'f M'tthias' b'yfriend."

The two blinked up at him.

"N'w." He demanded, his glare hardening.

They reluctantly complied, and Edvin jumped off the sofa haughtily, but not before hissing at the peaceful Norwegian. Matthias stuck is tongue at Edvin, cradling his boyfriend protectively. Berwald rolled his eyes at the scene, but deemed the fiasco over.

He knelt down beside Tino once again, using his eyes to ask for permission. Tino giggled lightly and nodded, reaching his arms out like a child would to request being carried. Berwald chuckled, but it was so quiet it went unnoticed by the others. Once he had scooped the Finn into his arms and stood up, he turned back to Matthias, who was running his fingers lovingly through Lukas' long fringe and smiling at the angelic expression on the sleeping face.

"Try n't to d' anything st'pid wh'lst we're co'king…" He muttered. He turned to leave but was stopped as Matthias spoke up.

"Finny's going ta cook?" He asked incredulously, his eyebrows arching in disbelief. Neither of the two missed this, and whilst the Swede simply glared at the loud country, Finland was downright pissed off.

"What's that supposed to mean? I can cook! Even in this state!" The Finn narrowed his eyes as he watched the Danes face morph into that of laughter.

"What's so funny?" He demanded, his voice cracking in humiliation.

"S'nothin', don't worry yer head over it, lass. But is it really wise? I know you're tough, Fin, really I do. But you need to heal, not cook." His voice and expression became more serious as he spoke. Both Berwald and Tino frowned at the feminine term, but soon let it go as they heard him out.

Two sets of blue eyes turned upon the Finn that was residing in the Swede's arms as he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I can handle it. Besides, what would you do in this situation? Sit around and do nothing all day or be helpful?"

Denmark smirked. "Do nothing of course. Why do something when you could do fuck all?"

Finland huffed and crossed his arms as best he could. Of course the care-free Dane would choose that option. "Well, I want to help Sweden, so shut up."

It wasn't very often that that Finn got annoyed, so this was quite the display for the two tall nations in the room. Neither could blame him though, being near the Dane on its own was bad enough. But when your hormones were a mess due to the pain and stress that he had been through, it was more than understandable.

Matthias gave the Finn a lopsided grin. "Kay then. Suit yourself. Just don't push yourself too hard, got it?"

Seeing that Matthias was genuinely concerned, he returned the grin with a small smile. "I'll manage." He mumbled, more to himself than anyone else, but they heard it regardless.

Sensing that the argument/ discussion was over, Berwald nodded to Matthias and walked briskly out of the room and into the kitchen, the Finn safely tucked away in his arms.

_Sweden's POV_

I didn't think I would ever get used to the feather-light weight of my wife. He was just so fragile! I tightened my hold on him slightly, wanting to protect him from everything that bode him ill will. I walked into the kitchen, and was rather surprised to not find Emil in it. Surprise aside, I carried Tino up to the counter by the sink, and sat him on it gently. Once he was comfortably seated, We got going.

_Denmark's POV_

I sighed and looked at the clock over the mantelpiece. Lukas had been out for over half an hour now, and I was beginning to get worried. He had never been unconscious for this long before. Brushing back some pale blonde strands from his beautiful face, I sighed again. I made a mental note to dispose of all coffee when I returned home. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make in order to 'protect' my lover. I'd also have to ask Sweden to hide his in a high up area whilst we stayed too. Norge just couldn't be trusted to keep his mitts off it.

I gently scooped up his slim body into my arms and nuzzled his neck. He was very ticklish there, and I hoped that by doing this he'd wake up.

After a minute or two, a quiet moan escaped from his pink lips, and I smirked into the pale column of skin, deciding to go just that little bit further. I gently nibbled, hoping to get an even bigger reaction. I was rewarded well as his hands lethargically moved to grip onto my gelled spikes of hair, attempting to tug me off of the sensitive area. I smirked into his neck, licking trails up it.

I could tell he was beginning to come around now, as he shifted beneath me, and he let out muffled whimpers of discomfort. I pulled away momentarily in time to see his stunning blue orbs flicker open, long, blonde eyelashes framing the crystal jewels.

"Hey there." I whispered teasingly, placing a chaste kiss to his dry lips. His moans were drowned out by the pressure of my lips working against his. The kiss instantly began to become more aggressive as he awoke more. I wrapped his silky locks around my fingers as I supported his head, and forced his mouth to meet mine. I worked my tongue into his mouth, and a battle of dominance ensued. Naturally, I won after a full two minutes of breathless groans coming from the two of us.

I pulled back, the need for air becoming too great. I smiled down at my Norwegian, who looked utterly gorgeous. His eyes were hooded and glazed over in want, his hair was slightly dishevelled but still perfectly silky, his cheeks and skin were light up a rosy pink, and his lips were red and swollen from the harsh treatment I bestowed upon them. His chest rose and fell rapidly, as his lungs tried to require a satisfactory amount of oxygen. I grinned down at him lovingly.

"How're ya feeling?" I chuckled. He frowned up at me, but it was so half-hearted that is was adorable. I couldn't take him seriously.

"F-fine." He muttered, still flustered by his rude awakening.

"Good to hear. How was your nap?" I winked playfully, reaching down to attack his neck again.

He gasped loudly as I bit down, licking the angry red mark apologetically.

"It wasn't a n-nap, you i-idiot." His hands tangled into my hair again, tugging to tell me to pull back. I wasn't having any of it.

"D-Danmark, stop." He moaned out of gritted teeth, as I nibbled teasingly around the collarbone.

I looked up at him, smirking mischievously.

"Never~." I sang, sucking particularly hard on the side of the creamy neck. He threw his head back in pleasure, unwillingly exposing more of the flawless skin littered with purple marks.

"Pl-please." He begged, back arching as I carried on my ministrations. Just to rile him up more, I reached up behind his head, and felt around until my hand came into contact with the special strand. I watched as his eyes widened drastically as I ran my fingers along it. A long wanton moan escaped from parted red lips.

"You know you love it Norgie~." I whispered into his ear sensually. He shook his head weakly, a few lustful tears gathering in his hazy orbs. Wanting to drive him crazy, I yanked on the dainty curl. Hard.

Lukas let out a yell of pleasure, rolling his hips up towards mine in the need of friction, but I held him down. He looked up at me questiongly, his cherry lips forming a cute pout.

"This is pay back for earlier" I said, tugging the curl again. Lukas writhed beneath me desperately. "Now you'll maybe think again before helping yourself to coffee as you please, hmm?~" I sat up, straddling his hips as he tried to create friction. I tutted at him playfully.

"Now, now. This wouldn't be a punishment if I let you have your own way, would it?" I grinned at him, placing a quick peck to his delicate nose. With one more yank to the pleasure centre, I got off of him, leaving him a writhing mess on the sofa.

"Y-you…bastard…finish w-what you… s-started." He choked out, a series of lusty moans erupting from parted red lips. I loved how I could do this to him. I watched as he tried to get up off the sofa and come after me, but he fell back with a yell as his now very sensitive curl brushed against the arm rest. I smirked at him from my place by the doorway, pleased with my work.

"Merry Christmas Norgie~."

**Aaaaaand Tadaa!~ 10K words biatches!~ Finally Chapter six is done. This took me a week and a bit to do, but it's here now!:'D And once again, I'm sosososososoosso sorry about the wait! The next one will be quicker now I'm on holidays, I promise! Thanks for sticking with me all this time loyal lads and lasses!:'D**

**P.S. How was the ending bit?:S I've never written anything like that before, so I hope it was satisfactory. More smut and goodness to come in future chapters guys!:'D Lots more~**

**And Christmas dinner will be in next chapter too! I PROMISE:'D I just keep getting carried away…*laughs nervously*.**

**Thank you all so much, and remember that reviews are always muchly appreciated dearies!~**

**-TheSpanishBanana**


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